The Bishonen of February- Even Angel's Fall Part 1
by Skittles1
Summary: It takes place in the Bishonen World. A twisted tale of two teens from totally different worlds that meet on a strange pathway What is this girl hiding? Will she be able to change a bishonen's heart? And find love with him? (Nuri/Hori) ::COMPLETE::
1. Kina and the Gang

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 1  
  
-Disclaimer: I do not own Nuriko, Hotohori, and Duo (although I wish I did) the only thing I own is my own character.  
  
Background: This story takes place in the bishonen world. Bishonen translates to `beautiful boy', so basically it's a good-looking guy. Think Pokemon but with good-looking anime guys instead of pokemon. They're bishonen. They have attacks, gyms and battles but they're like people also. So let the story begin!  
  
~~  
  
A soft echo rippled through a large room as a young girl threw away a piece of paper from a calendar.  
  
"Geez, January went by fast." She breathed out and walked over to the eggs she was currently cooking and smiled. A handsome longhaired man walked in and grinned at his bishonen trainer cooking. His mind wandered to the many years ago that she caught him.  
  
~~ Flash Back ~~  
  
He had been roaming through the forest when it began to rain. A crashing bolt of lightning stuck a tree near him and soon a fire was blazing. He tried to escape but was stopped by a pack of wolves, he knew the forest was dangerous. One wolf lunged at him, sinking his teeth into his leg. As sharp pains surged through his leg a voice called through the forest and a young girl appeared. She pulled out a bishonen ball and a man with purple hair appeared in front of him. His name was Nuriko. Nuriko quickly began to fight the wolves as they lunged at him as the girl ran over to Hotohori and helped him up, wrapping his wound.  
  
Soon he woke up in a small apartment, looking around he saw the girl. She told him her name was Kina and that she knew it was a funny name but it suited her well. Kina handed him a piece of dark food she called chocolate, and oh it tasted so good. She gave him a high five and told him they where now `friends'. Kina offered him the choice of staying with her as her bishonen or for him to go back on his own as she found him. And of course she'd give him food and send him off properly. But Hotohori decided to stay with Kina and Nuriko. That was when his life changed, for the better that is.  
  
~~ End of Flash Back ~~  
  
"Are you going out to get February today?" Hotohori asked Kina, his mind back to reality.  
  
"Yeah! I was late getting January to leave so I better get February fast!"  
  
"In my opinion, I didn't like January. He wasn't beautiful enough and he was kind of dull. His looks didn't even compare to mine!" Hotohori tossed his hair back, smiling gallantly.  
  
A giggle erupted from Nuriko and Kina as Nuriko walked into the kitchen. Nuriko grabbed an orange and began tossing it up and down.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!" Kina grinned, serving the burnt eggs.  
  
"We're suppose to eat that?"  
  
"Yeah! Enjoy! Look, it's happy to see you!" Kina set down a piece of bacon on the three plates so that the two eggs were eyes and the bacon was a mouth. Nuriko and Hotohori rolled their eyes in unison and sat down to eat. Kina quickly gulped down her meal and smiled, brushing some of her dark, red-brown hair behind her ear. A doorbell rang as she stood up and a few minutes later she walked into the kitchen with a bouquet of daisies and various flowers.  
  
"Who's that from?" Hotohori asked as Kina put the flowers in a vase full of water and set them on the kitchen table.  
  
"I sent them to myself." Kina laughed while Nuriko and Hotohori soon joined in on the laughter.  
  
"You send yourself flowers every month! You're so weird." Nuriko rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey, it keeps the house smelling good and looking lovely. And I'd rather smell the flowers than your sweat! Now I've got to get going. Don't cause too much trouble you two!"  
  
"We won't!" The two bishonen smiled mischievously.  
  
They both loved living with Kina, she didn't make them do anything they didn't want to do and she kept them safe. If she hadn't have `caught' them, then they would be vulnerable to be caught by others. Once Nuriko heard that a Duo had broken a rib because his master glomped him too hard! She didn't make them train but they did willingly and they battled at a training center. But they liked the more peaceful life. Don't get me wrong, they do love the heat of battle. So the two bishonen and trainer live together by simple rules. She provides them with shelter and keeps them from other trainers trying to catch them (because they are already caught by Kina). They help around the house with stuff like cooking and cleaning and they both work to provide money and they help take care of her. Nuriko and Hotohori both work at a local training center and they help train other bishonen by battling with them.  
  
The door closed gently behind her as Kina walked down the apartment stairway and out onto the bustling street. She quickly wrapped a colorful scarf around her neck and let it drape down her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of long bellbottom khaki pants with a navy blue short sleeve T-shirt. In the center of the shirt there was a picture of a dark pink heart with a pair of pearl white angel wings coming out of the heart. Under the T-shirt was a long sleeved white shirt so that the long sleeves stuck out from under the navy T-shirt and a bit at the bottom. She had a silver chain bracelet that held on her two silver and black bishonen balls (Nuriko's and Hotohori's). She had navy blue sandals on with stripped toe socks that where blue, green, yellow and red but her pants covered most of the socks. Naturally, her scarf was around her neck as always and her dark red-brown hair was waving freely in the wind. Some of her hair was cut short in the front, giving her some strands of  
hair that flew in her face. She had blue eyes that looked like sapphires and they always seemed to be smiling or sparkling somehow. A few freckles dotted her cheeks.  
  
Kina began to skip down the street, letting her feet take her wherever they pleased. She smiled and waved to various people she knew, shouting "Hello's" and "How are you?" A little boy ran up and hugged Kina around her waist.  
  
"Hey Mikey!" She patted his head, "Wuzzzup?"  
  
"Nothin'! Is Nuriko or Hotohori home? I want to challenge them again! I've only lost like twenty seven times! The twenty eight time's a charm!"  
  
The boy grinned, waving his bishonen ball around that held a Chibi Duo inside.  
  
"They're inside the house. How goes the foster home?" Kina poked his shoulder, leaning down so they where face to face.  
  
"It's alright. Better than the last one! See you later!" He ran off, heading toward Kina's apartment to see Nuriko and Hotohori. Kina carried a small picnic basket with some mouth-watering food inside as she entered the forest. She didn't find any suitable bishonen in the town and almost all of the bishonen in town where already caught by someone.  
  
~~  
  
Author's Note: What is this about `February'? What is with this weird character named Kina? Find out more in the next chapter! Sorry it's kind of slow, I'm starting it off by getting all the main points out like how they ended up with each other, etc! ^_^ Please R & R! 


	2. Finding the Bishonen of February

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kina grinned while putting on some cherry colored lip-gloss as she trudged along a mangled forest pathway. Kicking the dirt up, she muttered to herself, "Almost there!"  
  
Kina's mother use to be a famous bishonen trainer and she knew all the great spots to find them. Including a small housing area deep in the forest. Her mother left Kina her apartment along with enough rent for ten years when she died. Her mother was one of the best trainers and she had owned her own gym, that is until she had met Kina's father. After they where married she left the bishonen life and settled down, later giving birth to Kina. But a terrible car accident left Kina all alone at the age of twelve and that was when she first met Nuriko. She was huddled on a muddy street crying in the rain when an umbrella appeared above her. A handsome face smiled down at her, helping Kina up and wiping the mud-strewn tears off her face. From then on Nuriko helped Kina get back on her feet and start living again.  
  
Voices brought Kina out of her thoughts as she crouched low in some bushes. She slowly made her way towards the voices and poked her head out a bit to see a Trunks and Gohan sparing right in front of her! She ran up and began to glomp Trunks, squeaking with joy.  
  
"OHMYGOSH! IT'S A TRUNKS!" She blurted out, holding onto Trunk's muscular body. (^.^)  
  
"GET IT OFF GOHAN! GET IT OFF!" Trunks screamed, attempting to pull Kina off of him. Gohan's eyes narrowed, mostly from jealousy.  
  
"Why does this kind of stuff always happen to Trunks and not me!" He thought to himself, prying Kina off of Trunks with a crow bar. Kina ran off through the bushes again.  
  
"That was fun! But neither of them could ever be February! I need someone crankier." She whispered to herself but more voices sounded in the distances, making her stop in her tracks and follow the sounds. Stealthily, like a cat, Kina crept up towards a group of four hot guys.  
  
"INJUSTICE! Injustice I tell you!" Wufei screamed towards a brown haired, braided boy that was holding a map. "Maxwell, we're lost again! Give me that stupid map!"  
  
"Are you mad Wuffie?" Duo sneered, "Heero, your mission is to get us UN-lost!"  
  
"Mission accepted." Heero nodded gravely.  
  
"Hey you guys! We shouldn't be fighting at all!" Quatre turned towards Trowa, "Tell them Trowa!"  
  
"..." Trowa blinked slowly. Heero stared down at the map intently then glared at Duo who was flicking Heero's ear. A set of eyes appeared in a bush across from Kina's hide out. A young girl with shoulder length red hair wearing jeans and a baby blue tank top stepped out next to Duo. The strange thing was that this girl had a foxtail, a sure sign she was mischievous and sly. She smiled daintily then glomped Duo while the others just stared.  
  
"Um, who are you?" Quatre asked. The girl quickly glomped Quatre whose face instantly turned a tomato red that matched the girls hair. She quickly let go of Quatre then glomped Duo again.  
  
"I'm Lauren." (THE AUTHOR! THE HORROR!) Lauren stood up and pointed to where Kina was hiding. "Sorry but I couldn't allow you to glomp MY Duo-chan!"  
  
Kina blinked and stepped out of the bushes, after snapping her fingers in disappointment. The group suddenly realized (they're a little slow sometimes) that Lauren was the author.  
  
"AAAAAAGHHHH! SHE HAS THE POWER TO DO ANYTHING!" Duo yelled, trying to pry Lauren off of him.  
  
"RUN! Heero, your mission is to run away with us!" Trowa actually yelled in fright.  
  
"MISSION ACCEPTED!" Heero turned and ran.  
  
"We shouldn't be fighting at all!" Quatre followed the others as they ran.  
  
"Injustice!" Wufei's voice trailed off as Lauren turned and winked at Kina.  
  
"Got to run!" She waved and chased after the Gundam boys. Kina shrugged and kept walking.  
  
"That was strange!"  
  
~~  
  
"What?" Kenshin looked up and made a funny noise, he swore he heard someone talking.  
  
"I wish I could see a Kenshin!" Kina talked to herself, just as she walked onto a new pathway; Kenshin turned off it so the two kept missing each other. (This goes on for the next seven hours)  
  
"Kenshin!" Kina bumped into him and instantly attached herself there for about another hour. (So any way, on with the story!)  
  
"Man, I am hungry! And tired!" Kina sat down, opening her lunch that let off a mouth-watering aroma. Two small gray kittens climbed out of the basket.  
  
"Huh? What?" Where'd you come from?" She asked the kittens who meowed in return. "Oh, I see! You need a home and where hungry so you climbed into my basket!" She began to unwrap some chicken and other various foods, chowing down on it and giving some to the kittens. She chatted with the gray fluff balls while gulping down some water.  
  
"I'll name you Tama and you Neko!" A large apple flew down at Kina, nailing her head.  
  
"OW!" Kina jumped up, looking around while rubbing her head. A white haired man sneered down at her from his perch high up in a tree. He turned his head away from his victim when suddenly the same apple hit HIS head.  
  
"What?" He yelled in shock, falling down from the tree but the large pearly wings on his back helped ease his fall.  
  
"It's rude to throw things at people!" Kina glared up at him.  
  
"Look whose talking! At least I don't talk to myself!"  
  
"Hey, I was talking to Tama and Neko!"  
  
"Same thing! This is bishonen territory. Get out!" He yelled coldly to the girl, giving her an icy glare.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Yue. Now leave or it will be your death."  
  
"I think I found February!" Kina grinned to herself.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry so short! Chapter 3 will be along shortly! Please R and R! 


	3. Trudge Back Home With Bishonen or Alone?

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Here, have a kitten! It'll make you nicer!" Kina laughed.  
  
"Get that bad-smelling fur ball away from me!" Yue jumped away from Kina. "I'm leaving and you better leave if you know what's best for you!"  
  
"Ok, but first will you live with me for a month?" Kina poked him.  
  
"First of all, don't TOUCH me. Second of all, I would NEVER live with someone, especially a HUMAN, hentai!" Yue's eyes hardened even more as he said the word 'human', as if he hated the whole race.  
  
"Excuse me! I'm NOT a hentai! Just leave for one month, that's all I'm asking!" Kina pleaded, making a puppy dog face.  
  
"Why should I come with you?" The bishonen stood up to his full height. He had white hair that fell past his shoulders with it pulled in a ponytail. His eyes where a storm cloud of blue and gray and they where emotionless eyes. He was wearing strange clothes that where all white, blue and gray with a cloak around his body. Giant, angelic like white wings protruded from his back with a few loose feathers on the forest floor.  
  
"I want to show you the world anew." Kina whispered.  
  
"Leave this forest and me, girl." Hatred shined from his eyes.  
  
"If you change your mind, here is my address." Kina shoved a piece of paper with writing on it into his pocket, then turned and ran.  
  
"Psychotic weirdo." Yue turned and walked away.  
  
Smiling, Kina held Tama in her basket, when she had put the paper in his pocket, she had slipped Neko in his cloak hood. She knew he would come to return Neko, then she could make him stay. Kina just felt bad that she had to separate Tama and Neko. She turned and began the long trudge back home. Walking along she turned to the right, Kina knew she heard footsteps. She crouched down and crept toward the noise.  
  
"Feh. I know you're there." Inu-Yasha glared at Kina.  
  
"Wow! OhMyGosh! Inu-Yasha! You're so cute!" Kina ran up, rubbing his ears so they made that funny noise and then she glomped him.  
  
"Get off of me silly human! Feh! You're as bad as Kagome!" He pushed Kina off of him.  
  
"I always wanted to do this! SIT!" Inu-Yasha face planted into the dirt. "FUN!" She kissed his cheek and went running off.  
  
"Feh! I'll get you for that one day!" His words echoed behind Kina.  
  
Kina began to sing a song as she skipped along the pathway.  
  
Kina finished her song as she walked towards home, hoping to see at least one more bishonen. Her breathe went in quickly as she gasped, there standing right in front of her was her favorite bishonen. Her eyes widened as her feet made jerky steps towards the Tasuki.  
  
"TASUUUUUKKKKIIII!!!!!!" Kina screamed, trembling slightly as she began running in circles around him doing a sad imitation of his 'bandit dance.' With the blink of an eye she latched herself onto Tasuki. "I LOVE YOU MY TASUKI!" She squealed, not letting go of him. The shock of what was going on slowly sunk in as Tasuki gasped for air, turning a mixture of red and blue.  
  
"Get offa' me! This is why I hate girls!" He screamed as he got some more oxygen.  
  
"You know you love me!" Kina continued to glomp Tasuki as he tried to get his fan. "You're the best Tasuki!" She rubbed her cheek affectionately against his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, I know I'm the best!" Tasuki grinned widely, "Let go of me!" He slowly pulled Kina off of him, with much struggling.  
  
"Ok, but let me get a picture first!" Kina set up a camera on a stand, auto setting it to go off in one minute, then she ran up next to Tasuki. As it started to blink, she grabbed him unexpectedly, pulling him close to her as she kissed his lips while the camera took the picture. Grinning like a maniac, she happily ran off with her camera.  
  
As she neared town Kina pulled out an old sheet of paper and a pen. On the paper was a list titled: "Things I want to do while I'm alive." Some where checked off, some not. At the top of the list where the most important but harder ones to do but as it got further down they where less trivial things such as 'Kiss a Tasuki.' Kina proudly crossed it off; all she had left now was number one through five. She pocketed the piece of paper and entered her apartment.  
  
"I'm home!" Kina smirked, seeing Nuriko in his cooking apron that said, "Kiss the Cook" with a pair of big, red lips.  
  
"Did you find February?" Nuriko anxiously asked. "Where is he?"  
  
"He'll be here soon." Kina pulled Tama out and set him down on the table.  
  
"I just washed that!" Hotohori walked in, "So I see you find that little devil? Where's his sister?" He motioned to Tama.  
  
"I left him with February."  
  
"Oh so you pulled the animal trick!" Nuriko beamed delightfully, he was the one that taught Kina the trick (leave the cute animal with the victim so they get guilt ridden and won't leave it, so they bring it back to you!)  
  
"Did you get pictures? Did you bring me anything?" Hotohori poked through Kina's basket.  
  
After grabbing the basket back from Hotohori, Kina produced two bags full of candy, which she gave to the eager bishonen then pulled out a wad of pictures. (She had one of those instant Polaroid cameras) and each time she ran into a bishonen, she secretly set it up to take a picture. There was a picture of Kina glomping Trunks while Gohan was trying to pry her off with a crow bar, another one that had the four Gundam Boys with Lauren (the fox girl) glomping Duo and Kina standing in the background drooling over all four guys. A picture with Kina clinging onto a confused Kenshin, one of Inu- Yasha on the ground with Kina laughing like a mad woman and lastly one of Kina kissing Tasuki.  
  
"Nice pictures! Think you got enough of you glomping people?" Nuriko rolled his eyes and laughed.  
  
"Thanks! Now I'm going to bed!" She slowly made her way into the bathroom.  
  
~~  
  
Kina gently stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her, quickly drying herself off as the cold air bit at her skin. Tama playfully tried to attack the water in a futile attempt. Kina stepped toward the mirror, looking at herself. You could tell her skin was becoming thinner and paler.  
  
"Is it really going to start showing now?" She asked herself, brushing her hair back. She smiled weakly at Tama then began to talk to the kitten who seemed to listen to her.  
  
"Tama, do you ever feel like you don't belong somewhere? It's like no matter how hard you try to fit in, you just can't and you feel like such an outsider. I try to tell myself what I'm doing is right, in the little time I have at least, but I feel like I shouldn't be here. Like I don't belong here and I'm suppose to be somewhere else. But where Tama, where? I just don't feel like I fit in here or like I'm not supposed to be here. Is there anyone out there that is like me? Am I meant to fall in love with that special someone or will it all end too soon? Could anyone love me, despise this horrible disease? I can feel the life slowly draining out of me, but at the same time something is holding me back. But what?" She sniffled back tears as the gray fluff ball cocked his head sideways as if to reply that he didn't know the answers.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm being too serious now. I'll get your sister home as soon as possible Tama!" Kina attempted to perk up, but another thing still bothered her, deep inside. "Must I always be so cheerful? It's like everyone expects me to be the one to cheer him or her up. But when I'm sad, who will cheer me up?" She slipped her bright Pajamas on that had fat cows all over them and Kina snuggled down in her bed as Tama jumped up, curling in a warm ball near her head.  
  
"But you are who you are and nothing can change that. Believe in yourself, maybe I don't belong here but I'm here right now and nothing can change that either. So I'm going to make the best of it, even if I only have a little amount of time. Good-night Tama." She kissed the kitten that purred quietly and with that the light turned out.  
  
~~  
  
Author's Note: So what do you think of it so far? Sort-of starting off slow, but oh well! Please R & R! *bows* Pretty pleaaaase? 


	4. Luring the Fool into the Hole

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 3  
  
"Here, have a kitten! It'll make you nicer!" Kina laughed.  
  
"Get that bad-smelling fur ball away from me!" Yue jumped away from Kina. "I'm leaving and you better leave if you know what's best for you!"  
  
"Ok, but first will you live with me for a month?" Kina poked him.  
  
"First of all, don't TOUCH me. Second of all, I would NEVER live with someone, especially a HUMAN, hentai!" Yue's eyes hardened even more as he said the word 'human', as if he hated the whole race.  
  
"Excuse me! I'm NOT a hentai! Just leave for one month, that's all I'm asking!" Kina pleaded, making a puppy dog face.  
  
"Why should I come with you?" The bishonen stood up to his full height. He had white hair that fell past his shoulders with it pulled in a ponytail. His eyes where a storm cloud of blue and gray and they where emotionless eyes. He was wearing strange clothes that where all white, blue and gray with a cloak around his body. Giant, angelic like white wings protruded from his back with a few loose feathers on the forest floor.  
  
"I want to show you the world anew." Kina whispered.  
  
"Leave this forest and me, girl." Hatred shined from his eyes.  
  
"If you change your mind, here is my address." Kina shoved a piece of paper with writing on it into his pocket, then turned and ran.  
  
"Psychotic weirdo." Yue turned and walked away.  
  
Smiling, Kina held Tama in her basket, when she had put the paper in his pocket, she had slipped Neko in his cloak hood. She knew he would come to return Neko, then she could make him stay. Kina just felt bad that she had to separate Tama and Neko. She turned and began the long trudge back home. Walking along she turned to the right, Kina knew she heard footsteps. She crouched down and crept toward the noise.  
  
"Feh. I know you're there." Inu-Yasha glared at Kina.  
  
"Wow! OhMyGosh! Inu-Yasha! You're so cute!" Kina ran up, rubbing his ears so they made that funny noise and then she glomped him.  
  
"Get off of me silly human! Feh! You're as bad as Kagome!" He pushed Kina off of him.  
  
"I always wanted to do this! SIT!" Inu-Yasha face planted into the dirt. "FUN!" She kissed his cheek and went running off.  
  
"Feh! I'll get you for that one day!" His words echoed behind Kina.  
  
Kina began to sing a song as she skipped along the pathway.  
  
Kina finished her song as she walked towards home, hoping to see at least one more bishonen. Her breathe went in quickly as she gasped, there standing right in front of her was her favorite bishonen. Her eyes widened as her feet made jerky steps towards the Tasuki.  
  
"TASUUUUUKKKKIIII!!!!!!" Kina screamed, trembling slightly as she began running in circles around him doing a sad imitation of his 'bandit dance.' With the blink of an eye she latched herself onto Tasuki. "I LOVE YOU MY TASUKI!" She squealed, not letting go of him. The shock of what was going on slowly sunk in as Tasuki gasped for air, turning a mixture of red and blue.  
  
"Get offa' me! This is why I hate girls!" He screamed as he got some more oxygen.  
  
"You know you love me!" Kina continued to glomp Tasuki as he tried to get his fan. "You're the best Tasuki!" She rubbed her cheek affectionately against his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, I know I'm the best!" Tasuki grinned widely, "Let go of me!" He slowly pulled Kina off of him, with much struggling.  
  
"Ok, but let me get a picture first!" Kina set up a camera on a stand, auto setting it to go off in one minute, then she ran up next to Tasuki. As it started to blink, she grabbed him unexpectedly, pulling him close to her as she kissed his lips while the camera took the picture. Grinning like a maniac, she happily ran off with her camera.  
  
As she neared town Kina pulled out an old sheet of paper and a pen. On the paper was a list titled: "Things I want to do while I'm alive." Some where checked off, some not. At the top of the list where the most important but harder ones to do but as it got further down they where less trivial things such as 'Kiss a Tasuki.' Kina proudly crossed it off; all she had left now was number one through five. She pocketed the piece of paper and entered her apartment.  
  
"I'm home!" Kina smirked, seeing Nuriko in his cooking apron that said, "Kiss the Cook" with a pair of big, red lips.  
  
"Did you find February?" Nuriko anxiously asked. "Where is he?"  
  
"He'll be here soon." Kina pulled Tama out and set him down on the table.  
  
"I just washed that!" Hotohori walked in, "So I see you find that little devil? Where's his sister?" He motioned to Tama.  
  
"I left him with February."  
  
"Oh so you pulled the animal trick!" Nuriko beamed delightfully, he was the one that taught Kina the trick (leave the cute animal with the victim so they get guilt ridden and won't leave it, so they bring it back to you!)  
  
"Did you get pictures? Did you bring me anything?" Hotohori poked through Kina's basket.  
  
After grabbing the basket back from Hotohori, Kina produced two bags full of candy, which she gave to the eager bishonen then pulled out a wad of pictures. (She had one of those instant Polaroid cameras) and each time she ran into a bishonen, she secretly set it up to take a picture. There was a picture of Kina glomping Trunks while Gohan was trying to pry her off with a crow bar, another one that had the four Gundam Boys with Lauren (the fox girl) glomping Duo and Kina standing in the background drooling over all four guys. A picture with Kina clinging onto a confused Kenshin, one of Inu- Yasha on the ground with Kina laughing like a mad woman and lastly one of Kina kissing Tasuki.  
  
"Nice pictures! Think you got enough of you glomping people?" Nuriko rolled his eyes and laughed.  
  
"Thanks! Now I'm going to bed!" She slowly made her way into the bathroom.  
  
~~ Kina gently stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her, quickly drying herself off as the cold air bit at her skin. Tama playfully tried to attack the water in a futile attempt. Kina stepped toward the mirror, looking at herself. You could tell her skin was becoming thinner and paler. "Is it really going to start showing now?" She asked herself, brushing her hair back. She smiled weakly at Tama then began to talk to the kitten who seemed to listen to her.  
  
"Tama, do you ever feel like you don't belong somewhere? It's like no matter how hard you try to fit in, you just can't and you feel like such an outsider. I try to tell myself what I'm doing is right, in the little time I have at least, but I feel like I shouldn't be here. Like I don't belong here and I'm suppose to be somewhere else. But where Tama, where? I just don't feel like I fit in here or like I'm not supposed to be here. Is there anyone out there that is like me? Am I meant to fall in love with that special someone or will it all end too soon? Could anyone love me, despise this horrible disease? I can feel the life slowly draining out of me, but at the same time something is holding me back. But what?" She sniffled back tears as the gray fluff ball cocked his head sideways as if to reply that he didn't know the answers.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm being too serious now. I'll get your sister home as soon as possible Tama!" Kina attempted to perk up, but another thing still bothered her, deep inside. "Must I always be so cheerful? It's like everyone expects me to be the one to cheer him or her up. But when I'm sad, who will cheer me up?" She slipped her bright Pajamas on that had fat cows all over them and Kina snuggled down in her bed as Tama jumped up, curling in a warm ball near her head.  
  
"But you are who you are and nothing can change that. Believe in yourself, maybe I don't belong here but I'm here right now and nothing can change that either. So I'm going to make the best of it, even if I only have a little amount of time. Good-night Tama." She kissed the kitten that purred quietly and with that the light turned out. ~~ 


	5. Yue Makes a Splash

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Kina pushed her reading glasses up further on her nose as she closed her book.  
  
"I think it's time to get started" She mused to herself different things Yue and her could do. "Here, put these on." She threw a pair of jeans and black pants with a small black sweater into Yue's lap. Yue looked over at a trash can and saw five empty, skin color make-up containers and raised his eyebrow, he wasn't going to ask because he didn't even want to know.  
  
"Is this necessary? I like my clothes. These look so uncomfortable (and very small)."  
  
"It is necessary! You need to blend it with everyone! And here is a trench coat, it'll cover your wings nicely!" She set down a long, black trench coat by his new clothes.  
  
"Fine" Yue grumbled, walking out of the room so he could change.  
  
"Yes!" Kina gave Nuriko and Hotohori a high five.  
  
"He's going along with it. If you ask me, he's probably thinking he'll just stay for some free food because he's got nothing better to do!"  
  
The door squeaked as it opened and Yue walked out. He had chosen to put on the black pants and a white sweater, the trench coat sat on the bed.  
  
"So what do we do now?" A small sigh escaped his lips. "Make me play dress up or dolls?" He thought to himself.  
  
"Today we're going to go to the beach!" Kina held up a bag that contained a beach ball, towels, drinks, sunscreen and a beach umbrella.  
  
"But I just got dressed!"  
  
"Oh well, here's your bathing suit!" Kina threw him a pair of board shorts that where black with white Hawaii style flowers all over them. After some grumbling and moaning, Yue came out in them, looking very good may I say.  
  
"Oh! You look so kawaii in them!" Kina stood up, now in a bikini style two-piece. It was a mixture of pinks and oranges with gold zigzags all over it with little ties hanging down on her sides and back. Nuriko walked out in blue board shorts that had dark blue dragons all over them (of course it made him look very good along with his six-pack). Next, Hotohori walked out in dark red board shorts that had white Hawaii style flowers also. (Which he also looked very good in!)  
  
"Ready everyone!" Kina smiled and patted Tama and Neko's heads. "You two watch over the house and be good!" She led the way, out the door as the four climbed into a taxi, the quickest way to the beach. The taxi pulled up along the beach pathway, everyone getting out while Kina paid.  
  
"Be back here around six in the afternoon." The taxi driver nodded.  
  
"Great, we're in a giant sand box with a little water." Yue rolled his eyes and sighed. Kina jumped up and spread a blanket on the hot sand, put down a few beach chairs and an umbrella. Nuriko walked over with a few sodas (soda, NOT beer ^_^)  
  
"So what do we do now?" Yue looked around.  
  
"Have fun!"  
  
Yue blinked, he hadn't had "fun" since he was little, before his parents death. "How?" he kept questioning Kina while his insides said to him, "Who cares? Why are you even bothering to go along with this girl? You are a bishonen and you don't have fun." But no matter how much his brain told him to leave, his body and heart wouldn't allow him to go. A splash of cold salt water brought him out of his trance.  
  
What the?" He screeched as the water dripped down his face slowly.  
  
"Come on in slowpoke!" Kina laughed, Nuriko and Hotohori where already deep out in the water splashing each other over the waves. Yue could feel his face burning red with anger as he crossed his legs and sat down in the sand.  
  
"I don't like the water."  
  
Kina frowned, "Oh come on! It's not like you can't swim!" She dumped a pile of sand on his head, which only made his anger grow. "Wait, you can't swim can you?!"  
  
"I only fly." Yue's wings rose a bit then relaxed, sand already in the feathers.  
  
"Well, I'll teach you. It's not that hard." Kina grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shallow water until it was a little past her shoulders but it was only up to about half a foot above his waist. (A bit above his belly button.)  
  
"I hate being short." She grumbled.  
  
"What was that, shorty?" Yue chuckled at his own joke.  
  
"Nothing. Ready to get started?"  
  
"Uh. Ok."  
  
"Now don't be afraid of the water, in fact, your wings should help you float. Now I'll hold you up a bit by your stomach and you kick your legs and motion your hands in circles, like you're paddling. Good, that's good."  
  
Yue was swimming in a circle (of course Kina and his wings wouldn't let him sink.) Slowly, Kina removed her hands and Yue kept swimming.  
  
"You're doing it! Good job!" Kina clapped as a huge wave gathered in the distance, slowly coming closer to them.  
  
"Oh yeah! Who's the man?" Yue grinned, he actually grinned, then his eyes widened in horror as the wave crashed down on him and Kina. It sent both of them tumbling under the water in a mess of sand, while they struggled to rise above the water to get a breath of air. Both their bodies rammed into Nuriko and Hotohori's legs, causing the two to join Kina and Yue under the water. They all sat up, breathing in air, fresh, sweet air. Yue glanced at Kina, "Remind me to never listen to you!"  
  
Then she burst out laughing, "That was so fun!" her smile widened as she splashed Yue. His eyes narrowed.  
  
"That sucked!" He held his tongue, thinking of some "colorful" words that he could yell at Kina. Afterwards, the four ate some sandwiches and Yue swam out to where the waves where smaller and he floated on his back. Of course his wings where the key factor in his floating, it was as if he was on a tiny boat or a float. It was relaxing. On the shore Kina was covering Hotohori in sand while Nuriko proceeded to make a sandcastle.  
  
"Look, a sand angel!" Kina laid down, moving her arms and legs in a swinging motion and when she stood up there was an angel-like figure in the sand. Nuriko smiled as Hotohori grabbed his hand as the two walked along the beach.  
  
"We're going for a walk, we'll be back soon! Be good!" Nuriko grinned then winked at Kina as the two walked near the water then walked down towards a small pier. A shadow blocked the sun on Yue's face for a brief second before he was shoved under the water. Coughing and sputtering, Yue rose to the surface to see Kina laughing her head off.  
  
"Why you little...!" Yue flashed with anger then started splashing Kina with fury.  
  
"Hey!" Kina laughed then splashed Yue until the two where having an all-out water war.  
  
~~  
  
"Well, they're getting along well." Nuriko smiled and looked up at Hotohori, who smiled back.  
  
"Yes, they are." Hotohori's arm found it's way around Nuriko's shoulders.  
  
~~  
  
"That was fun!" Kina handed Yue a red Popsicle.  
  
"Yeah." He nodded in agreement while graciously accepting the cold delicacy. But then the voice came back to him. "What are you doing you fool? Making friends what that, that human! Are you having FUN? Remember who you are!" His inner voice hissed with hatred. Yue's eyes grew cold as he conscious' words burned inside him. He swallowed his Popsicle as Nuriko and Hotohori walked and sat down a bucket of seashells.  
  
"Let's go." Yue stood up, his face emotionless again.  
  
"Ok." Kina pointed to the taxi that had just returned, "Good timing!"  
  
The ride back was silent except for a few giggles coming from Kina, Nuriko and Hotohori. The door creaked as they walked in and Tama and Neko ran up to greet their friends.  
  
"Hey you two! I call first shower!" Kina skipped into the bathroom.  
  
"I call the other shower!" Hotohori walked into the second bathroom.  
  
"I guess we'll have to wait." Nuriko frowned at Yue then patted his back.  
  
"Are you ok?" Nuriko looked at Yue.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Why do you and Hotohori stay with her?"  
  
"Like I said before, we love this life."  
  
"But she's human!"  
  
"So? You got a problem with them?"  
  
Yue's gaze wandered to the floor, "Maybe. But I have my reasons."  
  
"You think you're the only one with secrets? We all have our secrets. Like someone once told me, You keep them from your friends, your family and sometimes even yourself."  
  
Hotohori walked out and handed Yue a towel. "Your turn."  
  
Yue looked in the mirrors and his mind began to wander. "Today was fun but I can't have fun. Why? I don't know. I just don't know. How can I have fun with a human while my family was killed by humans?"  
  
~~  
  
"I think today went well." Kina mused at herself in the mirror. "Maybe he won't be too hard to crack. Surprisingly, he's my hardest case so far. He seems so great most of the time but sometimes he'll get cold and so distant it's like we're on different planets." Kina reached down and grabbed some skin colored cream and powder that she used to cover a strange blue triangle on her forehead.  
  
"Your turn Nuriko." Kina handed him a towel as she walked out of the bathroom, "I'm starting dinner." 


	6. Call Me Call Me

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Everything was blurry and her head was spinning, her mind cloudy. Then it all became clear as her Advil began to kick in.  
  
"Glad to see you're still here and that we didn't scare you away." Kina smirked as she looked at Yue, who had just woken up, "Nuriko and Hotohori are off to work so you and I are going to go watch Mikey race his bishonen, Chibi Duo. The kids do it every year and this year the prize is $250!"  
  
"I REFUSE to partake in such a cruel race as to make my kind race for money." Yue crossed his arms, "This is horrible." He ate his breakfast and dressed quickly.  
  
"I know it SOUNDS bad but the bishonen love to do it also." Kina grabbed his arm and pulled him outside, towards the area of the race.  
  
"Kina! Yeah! I was waiting for you!" Mikey ran up and hugged her waist.  
  
"Sorry but Nuriko and Hotohori couldn't come." She frowned. Kina knew Mikey had wanted them to see him race Chibi Duo, "But I did bring along Yue!" She indicated to the quiet figure behind her.  
  
"Wow! Cool!" Mikey smiled and looked at Yue then he ran off to the starting area.  
  
"Good luck!" Kina called after him.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"That's Mikey. He was orphaned when he was really little so all he remembers is being tossed from foster home to foster home."  
  
Yue nodded, taking in what Kina had just said.  
  
-"The race is about to begin!"- A voice boomed over a loud speaker. The two walked over to see a loud crowd of adults, mostly parents proudly cheering on their child as they entered the race.  
  
"The rules are: Only children between the ages 8 and 11 may enter. Their bishonen must be at the Chibi stage and NO cheating and/or rough playing. You most complete one lap around the track." The voice boomed again. Kina looked at the track, it was almost a mile long and all of it was visible except one small area that went through some bushes and tall trees. The track was mostly zigzags.  
  
"On your marks." The crowd quieted.  
  
"You're going down!" A scrawny bishonen yelled at Chibi Duo. Chibi Duo ignored him and smiled.  
  
"Get set...GO!" As their tiny feet pushed off, the bishonen shoved Chibi Duo, causing him to tumble over in the dirt. Before anyone could see him, the bishonen ran off with the others.  
  
"Come on Chibi Duo! You can do it! I believe in you!" Mikey yelled. The tiny braided bishonen stood up and took off in a flash.  
  
"Why that little...!" Yue growled and Kina frowned after they saw what the bishonen had done to Chibi Duo.  
  
"I'll be right back!" Yue took off his jacket and opened his wings, then flew off towards the forest part of the track.  
  
"Wait!" Kina yelled but her words fell on deaf ears. Chibi Duo was now neck and neck with the same bishonen that pushed him, both battling for first. Chibi Duo had made a huge come back with the support of Mikey. They neared the forest-covered part of the track; Kina saw them go in but only one came out. And it was Chibi Duo. Yue smiled as he tripped the scrawny bishonen that had shoved Chibi Duo. Chibi Duo sprinted across the finish line.  
  
"And the winner is...Chibi Duo!" Mikey ran up, proudly hugging his prized friend and bishonen, Chibi Duo. "You're the best!" the two grinned ear to ear. Yue calmly walked back to Kina as if nothing had ever happened.  
  
"Why'd you do that?" Kina questioned.  
  
"Do what?" Yue replied softly and Kina nodded with the answer to her own question shining in her eyes.  
  
"That was great!" Kina smiled and patted Mikey's back, "But the real winner is Chibi Duo!" Mikey grinned and nodded.  
  
Yue thought to himself and he could feel his insides start arguing again. "You actually HELPED a kid win a bishonen race? It goes against everything you believe in. What kind of bishonen are you? Traitor. Traitor. TRAITOR!" The voice hissed at him with venom and hatred. Yue grabbed his head and sunk to the floor. "NO! NO! I'M NOT A TRAITOR! NO!" Yue screamed. Kina leaned down and put her hand on Yue's back.  
  
"Hey are you ok?"  
  
"Don't TOUCH me!" Yue shoved Kina away from him and opened his wings again to their full wing span, a few loose feathers falling to the floor. Then he took off through the air until he was deep in the forest. "What have I done?" Yue brushed hair off of his sweating forehead. "I am a traitor to my kind."  
  
~~  
  
Kina looked at where Yue had once been standing. "I lost February in only a week. But he was more than just February." She muttered, walking to her apartment in shock.  
  
~~  
  
Yue looked down at his reflection in the water, before all this happened his life was all wandering, finding bishonen trainers to torture and he had no place that he belonged to. But now he had found one.  
  
~~A song softly played in the distance, in the minds of Yue and Kina~~  
  
I close my eyes and I keep seeing things,  
  
Rainbow waterfalls,  
  
Sunny liquid dreams.  
  
Confusion creeps inside me raining doubt.  
  
Got to get to you.  
  
But I don't know how.  
  
Call me call me.  
  
Let me know it's all right.  
  
Call me call me  
  
~~  
  
Kina looked up from her table, she had no idea what to do, this had never happened to her before. She wiped her forehead, exposing the small, blue triangle.  
  
~~  
  
Don't you think it's about time?  
  
Please won't you call and,  
  
Ease my mind,  
  
Reasons for me to find you,  
  
Peace of mind,  
  
What can I do To get me to you?  
  
~~  
  
Yue splashed the water. What was it about that girl? He remembered when she splashed him at the beach. It was fun. Fun. But should he be having fun after all that happened? His life had been fine before she butted her head into his business and now everything was upside down. He tried to clear his head but all he could think of was Kina. Her.  
  
~~  
  
I had your number quite some time ago.  
  
Back when we were young  
  
But I had to grow  
  
Ten thousand years I've searched it seems and now,  
  
Got to get to you  
  
Won't you tell me how?  
  
Call me call me  
  
Let me know you are there  
  
Call me call me  
  
~~  
  
Kina frowned. She had gotten too attached. All the other bishonen where different, not like him. And she was the one to make them leave when the month ended, they weren't suppose to leave whenever they wanted, they just weren't allowed to! She missed him. Often she would miss them but would get over it quickly, but this was different.  
  
~~  
  
I want to know you still care  
  
Come on now won't you  
  
Ease my mind  
  
Reasons for me to find you  
  
Peace of mind  
  
What can I do?  
  
To get me to you  
  
Come on now won't you  
  
Ease my mind  
  
~~  
  
Yue stood up and began to fly. In his mind he didn't know where he was going, but his heart knew.  
  
~~  
  
Reasons for me to find you  
  
Peace of mind  
  
Reasons for living my life  
  
Ease my mind  
  
Reasons for me to know you  
  
Peace of mind  
  
What can I do To get me to you?  
  
~~ 


	7. Someone Unforgettable

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 6  
  
Everything was blurry and her head was spinning, her mind cloudy. Then it all became clear as her Advil began to kick in.  
  
"Glad to see you're still here and that we didn't scare you away." Kina smirked as she looked at Yue, who had just woken up, "Nuriko and Hotohori are off to work so you and I are going to go watch Mikey race his bishonen, Chibi Duo. The kids do it every year and this year the prize is $250!"  
  
"I REFUSE to partake in such a cruel race as to make my kind race for money." Yue crossed his arms, "This is horrible." He ate his breakfast and dressed quickly.  
  
"I know it SOUNDS bad but the bishonen love to do it also." Kina grabbed his arm and pulled him outside, towards the area of the race.  
  
"Kina! Yeah! I was waiting for you!" Mikey ran up and hugged her waist.  
  
"Sorry but Nuriko and Hotohori couldn't come." She frowned. Kina knew Mikey had wanted them to see him race Chibi Duo, "But I did bring along Yue!" She indicated to the quiet figure behind her.  
  
"Wow! Cool!" Mikey smiled and looked at Yue then he ran off to the starting area.  
  
"Good luck!" Kina called after him.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"That's Mikey. He was orphaned when he was really little so all he remembers is being tossed from foster home to foster home."  
  
Yue nodded, taking in what Kina had just said.  
  
-"The race is about to begin!"- A voice boomed over a loud speaker. The two walked over to see a loud crowd of adults, mostly parents proudly cheering on their child as they entered the race.  
  
"The rules are: Only children between the ages 8 and 11 may enter. Their bishonen must be at the Chibi stage and NO cheating and/or rough playing. You most complete one lap around the track." The voice boomed again. Kina looked at the track, it was almost a mile long and all of it was visible except one small area that went through some bushes and tall trees. The track was mostly zigzags.  
  
"On your marks." The crowd quieted.  
  
"You're going down!" A scrawny bishonen yelled at Chibi Duo. Chibi Duo ignored him and smiled.  
  
"Get set...GO!" As their tiny feet pushed off, the bishonen shoved Chibi Duo, causing him to tumble over in the dirt. Before anyone could see him, the bishonen ran off with the others.  
  
"Come on Chibi Duo! You can do it! I believe in you!" Mikey yelled. The tiny braided bishonen stood up and took off in a flash.  
  
"Why that little...!" Yue growled and Kina frowned after they saw what the bishonen had done to Chibi Duo.  
  
"I'll be right back!" Yue took off his jacket and opened his wings, then flew off towards the forest part of the track.  
  
"Wait!" Kina yelled but her words fell on deaf ears. Chibi Duo was now neck and neck with the same bishonen that pushed him, both battling for first. Chibi Duo had made a huge come back with the support of Mikey. They neared the forest-covered part of the track; Kina saw them go in but only one came out. And it was Chibi Duo. Yue smiled as he tripped the scrawny bishonen that had shoved Chibi Duo. Chibi Duo sprinted across the finish line.  
  
"And the winner is...Chibi Duo!" Mikey ran up, proudly hugging his prized friend and bishonen, Chibi Duo. "You're the best!" the two grinned ear to ear. Yue calmly walked back to Kina as if nothing had ever happened.  
  
"Why'd you do that?" Kina questioned.  
  
"Do what?" Yue replied softly and Kina nodded with the answer to her own question shining in her eyes.  
  
"That was great!" Kina smiled and patted Mikey's back, "But the real winner is Chibi Duo!" Mikey grinned and nodded.  
  
Yue thought to himself and he could feel his insides start arguing again. "You actually HELPED a kid win a bishonen race? It goes against everything you believe in. What kind of bishonen are you? Traitor. Traitor. TRAITOR!" The voice hissed at him with venom and hatred. Yue grabbed his head and sunk to the floor. "NO! NO! I'M NOT A TRAITOR! NO!" Yue screamed. Kina leaned down and put her hand on Yue's back.  
  
"Hey are you ok?"  
  
"Don't TOUCH me!" Yue shoved Kina away from him and opened his wings again to their full wing span, a few loose feathers falling to the floor. Then he took off through the air until he was deep in the forest. "What have I done?" Yue brushed hair off of his sweating forehead. "I am a traitor to my kind."  
  
~~  
  
Kina looked at where Yue had once been standing. "I lost February in only a week. But he was more than just February." She muttered, walking to her apartment in shock.  
  
~~  
  
Yue looked down at his reflection in the water, before all this happened his life was all wandering, finding bishonen trainers to torture and he had no place that he belonged to. But now he had found one.  
  
~~A song softly played in the distance, in the minds of Yue and Kina~~  
  
I close my eyes and I keep seeing things, Rainbow waterfalls, Sunny liquid dreams. Confusion creeps inside me raining doubt. Got to get to you. But I don't know how. Call me call me. Let me know it's all right. Call me call me  
  
~~  
  
Kina looked up from her table, she had no idea what to do, this had never happened to her before. She wiped her forehead, exposing the small, blue triangle.  
  
~~  
  
Don't you think it's about time? Please won't you call and, Ease my mind, Reasons for me to find you, Peace of mind, What can I do To get me to you?  
  
~~  
  
Yue splashed the water. What was it about that girl? He remembered when she splashed him at the beach. It was fun. Fun. But should he be having fun after all that happened? His life had been fine before she butted her head into his business and now everything was upside down. He tried to clear his head but all he could think of was Kina. Her.  
  
~~  
  
I had your number quite some time ago. Back when we were young But I had to grow Ten thousand years I've searched it seems and now, Got to get to you Won't you tell me how? Call me call me Let me know you are there Call me call me  
  
~~  
  
Kina frowned. She had gotten too attached. All the other bishonen where different, not like him. And she was the one to make them leave when the month ended, they weren't suppose to leave whenever they wanted, they just weren't allowed to! She missed him. Often she would miss them but would get over it quickly, but this was different.  
  
~~  
  
I want to know you still care Come on now won't you Ease my mind Reasons for me to find you Peace of mind What can I do? To get me to you Come on now won't you Ease my mind  
  
~~  
  
Yue stood up and began to fly. In his mind he didn't know where he was going, but his heart knew.  
  
~~  
  
Reasons for me to find you Peace of mind Reasons for living my life Ease my mind Reasons for me to know you Peace of mind What can I do To get me to you?  
  
~~ 


	8. Glass Dolls and Glass Hearts

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 7  
  
A knock on the door brought Kina to reality, "Hello?" She opened the door slowly, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry I ran off." Yue brushed past her, he was not one for sentiments. "And I'm sorry if I worried you." He turned around and noted her appearance. Her hair was in a mess, sticking out this way and that. Her make-up was smeared from crying and she was wearing tacky green sweat pants and an old sweatshirt. But something caught his glance.  
  
"Yue, I'm glad you're back. I was worried." Her voice became stern, "Don't do that again! Hey, are you listening to me?"  
  
"What's that?" Yue pointed to the blue triangle on Kina's forehead. Her face went white; realizing her mistake while her fingers brushed the triangle.  
  
"Oh this? Well, uh...you see. First let's sit down." Kina led Yue to the couch where they sat down. "My mother was a bishonen trainer and very famous. But she fell in love with one of her bishonen and him with her. They say love has no boundaries, this only proved it true. After their marriage, people ridiculed my mother and father, shunning them until they moved to this tiny town where peace finally found them..."  
  
"...And you where born. Half human and half bishonen." Yue finished the sentence for her. "What was your fathers name?"  
  
"Celestin." Kina looked down sadly. (Celestin from the movie Ah! My Goddess- The Movie)  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? Where you ashamed of your bishonen blood?"  
  
"No, I'm not ashamed. I just thought it didn't matter and I wanted you to realize that some humans are good. Keep in mind, I am half-human. So you knowing this changes nothing. Deal?" She smiled hopefully.  
  
"No more hiding it with make-up? And if someone asks about it you have to tell them the truth."  
  
"Fine. Deal." They shook hands, "So why'd you come back?"  
  
"I figured you couldn't survive without me." Yue smirked, "And by the looks of it you can't!"  
  
"Oh hush!" Kina laughed.  
  
~~ The Next Day ~~  
  
"What is the point of this?" Yue questioned, all that he could see was darkness, "Ack! Not so tight!" He whimpered as Kina tightened, then loosened the red blindfold around Yue's eyes.  
  
"NO peeking! It's to sharpen your senses and have fun! Now try to find me by following my voice." She giggled and ran onto her bed, bouncing on the springy mattress.  
  
"Are you sure you're not trying to kill me?"  
  
"No silly!"  
  
"If I where you I'd make sure there is nothing breakable around me. Ouch!" Yue ran into the table then walked into the chairs. He turned toward Kina's bed, hearing her laughing at him. But he slammed into a dresser. She jumped down, ran behind him and tapped his shoulder. As he swung around, she ducked so he missed her.  
  
"Ah! I'm going to get you!" Yue bellowed while running forward but he tumbled to the ground, tripping over Kina but he brought her down with him. Laughing, Yue lifted the blindfold off to see Kina sprawled out on the floor with swirls in her eyes.  
  
"OHMYGOSH! Are you ok?" Yue gently lifted her up in his arms with a worried expression. Her eyes flew open.  
  
"HA! I got you!" She giggled while Yue still was holding her. A large sweat drop formed on Yue, and then he dropped her. She thudded as she hit the ground.  
  
"Hey, that wasn't nice!"  
  
"Well, what you did wasn't nice either! Now we're even!" He crossed his arms firmly, "Now you try to get me!" Yue tightened the blind fold around Kina's eyes, "Come and find me!"  
  
Yue ran into the kitchen, giggling like a schoolgirl. Someone tapped his back; turning around he saw Kina sticking out her tongue at him.  
  
"Found you!"  
  
"You must have cheated! Try again!" He ran and hid. After denying Kina winning the game about twenty seven times, the two took turns as the time went quickly by.  
  
"I found you!" Yue yelled, holding onto a statue.  
  
"I'm over here!" Kina laughed at him. Finally, Yue found her.  
  
"Congratulations! You're our new winner!"  
  
"I have a surprise for you." Yue tapped her forehead, on the blue triangle which glowed faintly for a second, "Put something fancy on and meet me at five o'clock at the De Pari restaurant."  
  
Kina ran into her room, excitement running through her veins. She ran her hands over the different articles of clothing. Yue looked down at the ordinary old clothes he had been wearing.  
  
"Need some help?" Nuriko grinned, walking in. He knew what Yue had been planning to do for Kina, "Come with me."  
  
De Pari was the fanciest most romantic restaurant in the town, not to mention the most expensive too.  
  
"Why would he take me there?" Kina pulled her hair up and wrapped a jacket around herself as she briskly walked through the city streets.  
  
Yue looked at his watch, ten minutes until five o'clock. He pulled at his shirt uncomfortably. The sliding glass doors opened, hitting Kina was a blast of warm air. She looked up to see a handsome man standing by a chair. It was Yue! He looked up to see a beautiful woman walking towards him.  
  
"Crap!" He thought to himself, "Kina looks gorgeous!"  
  
Kina was wearing a slimming, draping black gown. It had silver sequences going across the front and the top was halter style. The back of the dress was open with a black string that criss-crossed. She had black high heel sandals on with silver flowers sewn on the straps. Kina's hair was pulled up in a bunch of curls in the back of her head; a wisp of hair fell by the side of her face. She had silver glitter in her hair and her eye shadow was the same silver glitter. Yue was wearing tight black pants with a pair of shiny black dress shoes. He had a tight, white collared button-up dress shirt with a black sports coat over his white shirt. He didn't know why Nuriko insisted the shirt had to be so tight fitting. His hair was pulled back with a few random strands (namely his bangs) hanging in his face.  
  
"Hi..." He muttered, "You look breath-taking."  
  
"So do you." She smiled sweetly, "Your hair looks great with your black clothes!" Kina blushed when she realized she could see his muscles. Suddenly, they weren't just two friends out on a date; it was more, so much more than that.  
  
"Here is your table." A waiter brought them out of their dreamy trance and led them to a table near a dance floor. As she moved, the gown flowed with her legs gracefully.  
  
"May I bring you something to drink?"  
  
"Just water."  
  
"I'll have the same."  
  
"May I take your order?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll have the lobster."  
  
"I'll have the pasta."  
  
Kina turned towards Yue, "You didn't have to do this for me."  
  
He grinned, "This is only the start."  
  
"You mean there's more? Yue you shouldn't have!"  
  
"Shh." He put a finger to her lips then smirked. A song began to play, "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole.  
  
"Would you care to dance?" He stood up and put his hand down to Kina's.  
  
"Yes please." Kina giggled, Yue didn't realize when he stood up that the napkin that had once been on his lap had fallen on the floor. She picked it up for him then the two walked out onto the small dance floor. He put his arm around her waist and with the other hand held her hand. She put her arm around his shoulder and took his hand as the two swayed slowly.  
  
~~  
  
Unforgettable, that's what you are. Unforgettable, though near and far Like a song of love that sings to me How the thought of you does things to me  
  
~~  
  
Yue looked into Kina's eyes; getting lost in their deep blue color that was like the ocean. She was unforgettable. He let go of her waist and spun her around then his hand returned to her waist. The day he was in the forest, he had realized how much Kina meant to him.  
  
~~  
  
Never before has someone been more Unforgettable In every way And forever more, that's how you'll stay That's why darling It's incredible that someone so unforgettable Thinks that I am unforgettable too  
  
~~  
  
Kina stared back at Yue. Then it hit her; she was in love with him. Her eyes widened in shock for a moment then returned to normal. She'd have to sort out her feelings later; she was too caught up in the moment to care if her time was limited or that he was only suppose to stay with her for a month. Nothing else mattered except him. The two of them were dancing as one on the floor as the song played. It was more like the song was singing how the two felt about each other.  
  
~~  
  
Unforgettable In every way And forever more, that's how you'll stay That's why darling It's incredible that someone so unforgettable Thinks that I am unforgettable too  
  
~~  
  
The song ended. Yue led Kina back to the table as their food arrived. The two chatted like old friends as they ate slowly. Then Yue reached into his pocked and pulled out a long, velvet black box. Kina's eyes blinked slowly as he opened it and inside was a silver key on a thin, silver chain. He gently took it out of the box and hooked it around her neck.  
  
"Oh Yue, thank you!"  
  
"You have the key to my heart."  
  
Kina swore her heart had stopped for that brief moment, as the two leaned closer. Closer. Then her cell phone rang. She pulled back and answered it angrily.  
  
"Hello! Who is this? You better have a good reason to call me!"  
  
"Kina, this is your brother. I want to talk to you. Please, take your medicine! Listen to me! You're becoming a disgrace to the family and I can't stand how you live! The doctors have improved medicine, your disease may be unknown but there are options to help expand your life time!"  
  
"No, John stop it! I'll live how I want to live! I want to enjoy my life, even if it's only for a bit!" She screamed into the phone, completely forgetting about Yue. She walked out of the restaurant and began to pace outside on the cold, wet street. Yue followed her out and stood next to her, not knowing what to do. "John, I'm sorry ok? But I just can't take it; I refuse to go see those crazy old 'doctors' repeatedly! I'm fine! Please, don't call me again unless it's important!"  
  
"But it is important! Your life is at stake! JUST STOP BEING STUPID AND COME HERE!" John yelled.  
  
"No!" Kina slammed the cell phone shut, hanging up on her brother.  
  
"Kina? What was that all about?" Yue demanded worriedly after hearing the word 'life', 'time' and 'doctor' repeatedly.  
  
She began to pace; she wasn't about to tell him.  
  
"Kina, tell me!" Yue stood in front of her, "No more secrets! I'm sick of playing this game! Why do you insist to do this to me, you lead me on like this but when the month's over I won't leave! Do you hear me? Just tell me what that was all about!"  
  
Kina's heart began to beat faster. She was emotionally drained for the day. She couldn't take it anymore.  
  
Love, Hate, Diseases, Games, February, Month, Life, Medicine, Dreams, Hope, Fears.  
  
They all raced through her mind. Racing, faster and faster. Then Yue's face became blurry and everything was spinning.  
  
"Kina, are you listening to me? Hey, are you ok?" Yue peered at her frowning.  
  
A sharp pain went through her heart. Then everything went black.  
  
"KINA!" Yue caught her quickly as she fell towards the ground. His face went pale then he panicked, he had seen people faint before and Kina didn't faint. Something was wrong, very wrong.  
  
~~ 


	9. Please Hate Me

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 8  
  
A pounding noise woke Nuriko up, causing him to fall off of the couch.  
  
"Oh my god! Chandler, Chandler just tell Monica you love her! I'm coming! I'm coming!" He muttered angrily, the best part was coming up in his favorite show, "Friends".  
  
Hotohori walked over to the door also, "I wonder who that can be. Kina and Yue shouldn't be getting home for a few more hours." He grinned, remembering when Yue asked him to help him pick out a necklace for Kina.  
  
Nuriko gasped in shock as he opened the door to see Yue patting for breath while holding a limp Kina in his arms.  
  
"What happened?" Hotohori demanded while Nuriko took Kina from Yue and set her on the couch. He quickly timed her pulse.  
  
"Her brother...John...called...pacing...something about medicine and doctors...she hung up...then collapsed. I ran... all the way here!" Yue managed to tell the two.  
  
"Quick, Hotohori open the cabinet!" Nuriko turned and yelled at Hotohori.  
  
"Nuriko, but you know she said she never wanted us to use the stuff in there!"  
  
"Hotohori, do you want her to die?!" Nuriko shouted in anger. "HURRY!"  
  
Hotohori ran to a cabinet in Kina's bathroom. He flipped up a mat then he pulled a small key off of the bathroom mat and unlocked the cabinet. Inside were rows and rows of medicine, prescription drugs in all kinds of glass orange bottles. He ran his hand over the containers, looking for a certain one and he smiled when he found it. Quickly, he popped two pills out and handed them to Nuriko.  
  
"Come on Kina." Nuriko opened her mouth and put the pills in, then poured some water in with them, "Just swallow them!" She slowly swallowed and moved her head slightly.  
  
"She'll be fine." Nuriko smiled, her pulse was back to normal.  
  
"What, what happened to her?" Yue looked at her peacefully sleeping now, his face pale from all that happened.  
  
"She collapsed, too many things must have happened to her today. She really doesn't want anyone to know but I guess it's too late to hide it from you now. Kina was born with a very weak heart and the blood flow to her heart is slow, any over excitement could make it stop beating and she'd die. She doesn't want everyone saying, "oh poor dear is going to die soon. How sad." And pitying her. She wants to be treated the same as a regular person would be treated. But she didn't want to live her life like a glass doll, with everybody treating her like if they excite her in any way she'd break and die. Tell me the truth, if you knew about this would you have even done all that you did with her tonight? Would you have wanted her swimming at the ocean? No. You would make her stay still and be careful. And that's not how she wants to live, she wants to be able to do whatever she wants, even if she only has a short time. And that's why..."  
  
Yue looked up, "...and that's why what?"  
  
"That's why you're February. Kina wants to learn about the world in the short time and she wants her memory to live on, her body may die but she wants her essence to live on. Not only that but she wants to make a difference in peoples life. So every month she found a cold-hearted bishonen and tried to teach them something. Maybe it was only to cook but that's one more Ranma that can cook and one more Ascot that can stand up for himself. Kina wants the people to learn to appreciate the life they have while they have it, because hers is cut short."  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Kina was flying through the air, dreamy bubbles floating everywhere. She gently landed on the floor, flowers sprouting around her feet. A young woman appeared in front of Kina.  
  
"Who...who are you?" Kina questioned boldly.  
  
"Why, I am Miss Kodachi," the woman replied.  
  
"Am...am I dead?"  
  
"Indeed no. If you were dead, then I would be dead too. And I am very much alive. I am an old friend of your mother's. She was very sad that she couldn't come into your dream, but you aren't ready to see her yet, so she sent me instead."  
  
"Why can't I see her?"  
  
"It is a rule. When the time comes, you will understand."  
  
"Isn't it time now? It's been so long since she died in the car crash..."  
  
"What car crash?" Kodachi asked surprisedly. She looked at Kina, obviously confused. Realization finally dawned. "Oh!"  
  
Kina stepped back, emotion overwhelming her. The only thing she'd believed to be true for her entire life came crashing down around her. She finally managed to stutter out a sentence.  
  
"Then...then...h-how did my parents really die? They told me they both were in a car accident..."  
  
Chairs materialized, and the two sat down.  
  
"Like you, your mother was cursed with a very weak heart. Your father knew this, but he still chose to marry her. Love can be so strong sometimes. But exactly twelve years after you were born, your mother's heart gave out. After they declared her deceased, your father couldn't stand it, but he knew he had to care for you. When he was driving home, a drunk truck driver rammed into your father's car."  
  
"So they both didn't die in a car accident?" Kina whispered her face pale.  
  
"No, I'm sorry." 


	10. Strawberry Smiles

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 9  
  
A motion from Kina's body caught Yue's eye. At first he didn't think much of it, as she had started moving slightly ever since Nuriko gave her the medicine. Then he noticed the sweat on her forehead, and the panicked way she was attempting to thrash her arms.  
  
"Mama...Daddy..." she whispered brokenly.  
  
Yue's heart flip-flopped. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him. Suddenly, nothing mattered more in the world than making Kina stop being afraid.  
  
*Snap out of it, Yue!* his mind sneered at him. *She's a human. Why would you want to comfort a human?*  
  
Yue jumped slightly. He should have been used to these inner conflicts by now, but somehow it always startled him when his conscience yelled at him.  
  
*Why should you care about this worthless life? Humans are worth nothing. You don't owe her. Why do you care?*  
  
The silver-tressed bishonen searched for words to express this new, profound feeling, looking for some way to validate himself. No words came except:  
  
"Because...because she's Kina."  
  
*What is that worth? You're the Judge, Yue. This girl is worthless to you!* the voice in his head screeched. *Why would you comfort her? Where were the humans when you needed comforting? When you were lost and alone, where was she? Probably warm and safe, not concerned about anyone else at all. Typical human. She's been judged, Yue, and she's worthless! Leave right now! No one would blame you for leaving a dying trainer. She'll never know. She probably won't even notice, the worthless thing.*  
  
Somewhere inside Yue, something snapped.  
  
"Who judged her?! WHO?!" he screamed in a voice raw with emotion. "I am the Judge, and I never judged her worthless! Kina is anything but worthless, anything but typical! She will never, ever be worthless!!!"  
  
His declaration echoed throughout the house. The only noise that Yue could hear was his own ragged breathing. Suddenly, the door opened.  
  
"Eh, Yue? Are you all right?" Hotohori asked him concernedly. "What's going on in here?"  
  
"I'm fine," Yue replied, still breathing hard. Looking up, he noticed something that looked suspiciously like a kiss mark on the side of the Konan emperor's face. He raised one silvery eyebrow. "But should I be worried about what's going on out there?"  
  
"HOOORIIII!!!" Nuriko's voice rang out from the other room like a bell. "Hurry back, I'm lonely by myself!"  
  
Hotohori flushed a deep crimson. "No-I'm-fine-thanks-keep-watching-Kina- tell-us-if-she-wakes-up-now-bye!!"  
  
The slamming of the door resounded throughout the small room.  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
"So I have the same disease as my mother?" Kina asked shakily. This was all still a big shock to her.  
  
"Yes. You are so much like your mother," Kodachi smiled. "She had no regrets and she loved you with all her heart. So did your father. She knew she was sick, but she didn't want to live all cooped up like you don't want to live either."  
  
"I won't let the sad fate that happened to my parents happen to Yue and I." Kina clenched her fist. Kodachi and the dream world were fading. "Wait, I still have so much more I need to ask you!" Kina ran towards Blue.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I must go now. Ja ne, little one, so much like your parents. And remember, you have bishonen blood in you, and in that you have exceptional power. The strength, hope, and heart of your mother and the determination and faith of your father, and your own will. You are who you are, Kina."  
  
The dream faded, gone and no longer in Kina's reach. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Her eyes fluttered slowly as they opened. Sluggishly she sat up, running her hand through her hair. Something caught her eye suddenly, and stumbling Kina made her way over to the medicine cabinet. It was opened and she knew she had locked it. Anger began to flash inside her. Kina had given Nuriko and Hotohori direct instructions to never open the cabinet and to never use her medicine.  
  
Yue walked over and set his hand on her shoulder gently. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"It does matter!! That day at the beach, while Nuriko and Hotohori were gone, what if your heart had given out? I would have had no idea what to do. You could have died, just like today. It was lucky we had the medicine. What would I do if I lost you?" Yue smiled at her to cheer her up.  
  
"I don't care what happens to me! Just forget about me. I hate this medicine. If it is fate for me to die on the beach, then so be it!!"  
  
"I don't care about fate! If I would take the chance of losing you, I wouldn't care. I would do anything for you," said Yue. He took a step toward her. "If a train was coming toward you at full speed, I will jump in front of that train to save you."  
  
Kina looked up and into his eyes. His eyes were filled with reassurance.  
  
"No! Stop being so damn nice!!" Kina grabbed onto her pill bottles and threw them at Yue. They bounced off of his body. Kina was now shaking with sobs, reaching for more bottles, dumping the pills out, and throwing them at him.  
  
"Hate me! Just hate me!!!"  
  
Yue just stood there, gaping at her amongst the broken glass lying at his feet.  
  
The door opened with a muffled click. Nuriko's head poked into the room.  
  
"I heard the screaming match. What's wrong? And are you feeling better, Kina?"  
  
Kina glared at the purple-haired bishonen. He gulped.  
  
"Why did you tell him? I specifically told you not to ever speak of that! And to never use or even open that cabinet!" Promises of painful death flashed in her eyes.  
  
Nuriko looked away. So softly that she could barely hear him, he murmured, "I thought it was for the best."  
  
"Since when do you know what's best for me?"  
  
He met her gaze, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I...I'm sorry. Call me selfish, but I just didn't want to lose you yet."  
  
Her eyes turned cold as the words tumbled out of her mouth, even as her brain screamed for her not to utter them, "What does it matter to you anyway? You have your Hori-Darling!"  
  
Nuriko lifted his head to meet her eyes again. "That hurt, Kina," he told her, shades of quiet anger behind his words. "You know how much that hurt. I'm sorry I made you hate me so much."  
  
He looked at the floor as he trudged out of the room sadly. The door closed behind him with an air of finality.  
  
Kina let loose a scream of frustration and hurled the nearest medicine bottle at the door without bothering to empty it of its contents. Glass and brightly colored spheres were littered across the floor. Tears continued to pour down her face as she turned away from Yue. For a moment he thought she had calmed down, but that idea was laid to rest as she grabbed an ornate perfume bottle and heaved it at the door. The floral scent seemed completely out of place in the violent setting as tinted glass carpeted the floor.  
  
"That's enough, Kina!!" Yue yelled, trying to regain some control of the situation.  
  
Her response was an angry, threatening glare in his direction. Her breathing was as ragged as Yue's had previously been, and her eyes were tinted red with hot, angry tears. She looked almost possessed, nothing like the Kina Yue knew.  
  
"Leave me alone!!" she growled.  
  
"No! I can't! It's impossible for me to leave you alone!" Yue told her forcefully, crossing the distance between them in two lengthy steps. She picked up another perfume bottle and readied her aim. Before she could make a move, though, Yue had encircled her tightly in his arms. Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were tears of regret. All she could see was silver and feathers as even Yue's wings held her to him. Her arm dropped to her side and the perfume bottle fell to the floor. She wrapped  
her arms around him and wept with all her heart. 


	11. UnHappy Birthday

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 10  
  
The first thing Kina noticed was that it was morning. The second thing she noticed was that she was tired, and that she was snuggled against something warm. She cuddled up closer to the warm thing and sighed. Instinctively, the 'warm thing' put his arm around her. Immediately afterwards, they both  
realized simultaneously that something was wrong.  
  
"Eeeeekkk!!" Kina screamed, shoving the 'warm thing' away from her.  
  
"Oh, god! I'm sorry!!" he apologized, pushing her away from him at the same  
time.  
  
They both fell on the floor as a result.  
  
Kina put a hand to her chest, still breathing a little heavily from her odd wakeup call. *What am I doing in here?* she asked herself. To her surprise, she couldn't remember. *OK, I'm in a strange room with a strange person and  
I can't remember what I did last night. This is definitely bad.*  
  
"Um?" she ventured. "Why am I in here?"  
  
A familiar voice answered her. "You fell asleep after your little outburst  
last night. So I brought you in here."  
  
"Oh, Yue, thank god it's you."  
  
"Just out of curiosity, who else would it be?"  
  
"I don't know! How come I'm not in my own bed?"  
  
"You were too heavy for me to move you all the way to your room," the angel  
quipped.  
  
"Ha ha. Very funny."  
  
"It's true."  
  
The room was quiet for a moment before Kina spoke.  
  
"Yue?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
~*~  
  
"Hoooooooriiiiii...." a voice whispered in Hotohori's ear.  
  
"Mm?" he murmured sleepily.  
  
"Hoooooriiiiii...."  
  
The dark-haired man rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Hold on, Nuri." His  
eyes slowly fluttered open.  
  
He promptly screamed.  
  
"God, Hori!" Kina complained loudly. "I'm not *that* ugly. Geez! You  
overreact to everything!"  
  
"Sorry," the older man mumbled, embarrassed.  
  
Nuriko, reacting to his fellow bishonen's scream, shot up straight in bed.  
"Miaka! It's not what you think!! Really!"  
  
Hotohori and Kina stared at him.  
  
"Oh...heh heh...'morning, everyone," the braided 18-year-old greeted them. He met Kina's gaze for a moment before his normally bright eyes darkened  
and he got up from the bed.  
  
"Gotta head to the little boys' room," he offered as an excuse.  
  
"Ah, Nuri?" Hotohori questioned.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How about putting some pants on first?"  
  
Nuriko had the decency to blush.  
~*~  
  
  
And now back to the actual story...  
~*~  
  
Recovered from his embarrassing scene in the bedroom, Nuriko made his way  
downstairs with Hotohori. Halfway down the stairs, Hotohori stepped in  
front of him.  
  
"Talk," he commanded.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Nuri, you *know* what I'm talking about. You've not been yourself lately.  
What happened last night?"  
  
Nuriko fidgeted. "Well...Kina and Yue got in a fight."  
  
"So I heard. I think the whole town heard it."  
  
"You have a point," Nuriko conceded. "So, um, I walked in on it and it turns out she's mad at me for telling Yue about her...erm...condition. And  
then she said..." His voice trailed off.  
  
"And then she said what?"  
  
"Well. Uhm." The floor suddenly became totally enthralling to the purple-  
haired boy.  
  
"Nuri, this is your emperor speaking. I hate to pull rank on you, but talk.  
Now."  
  
"All right, all right! She said, 'What does it matter to you anyway? I don't matter to you as long as you have your Hori-darling!'" Nuriko's voice  
cracked in the middle of his sentence. "Hori...she...she..."  
  
Hotohori quietly drew his friend into an embrace.  
  
"She hates me, Hori!" Nuriko wept.  
  
"Shh, it's OK," the emperor comforted. "She doesn't hate you. She was just angry and confused. We all know that people don't always say what they mean  
when they're mad."  
  
"But sometimes, when you're angry, you say the truth without really meaning  
to. Hori, she really does hate me!"  
  
Hotohori patted the other man's shoulders. "Hey. Are you saying I'm wrong? I don't take kindly to people saying I'm wrong, even when they're as cute  
as you."  
  
Nuriko managed a smile. Wiping his eyes and placing his hand in Hotohori's,  
he said, "Shall we head downstairs?"  
  
"Sounds great to me."  
  
~*~  
  
"Where have you two been?" Kina demanded of the pair when they came into  
the kitchen. "You weren't making out on the stairs again, were you?"  
  
Yue spit out his orange juice in the middle of a sip. Coughing, he managed  
to sputter, "What?!"  
  
Kina grinned. "Gotcha! I was just kidding!"  
  
Yue groaned and took another sip of orange juice.  
  
"It's not a bad idea, though..." Hotohori noted.  
  
Yue's orange juice once again decorated the tablecloth.  
  
Nuriko took his place at the table somewhat nervously. He cast a worried glance at Hotohori, which was replied with a reassuring smile. Kina walked  
over to him and slammed a plate of pancakes down at his place. Feeling  
somewhat bold, Nuriko asked, "Um...are you still mad about last night?"  
  
Kina gave him the Heero-Yuy-Patented-Glare-O'-Doom and simply said, "Look  
at your pancakes." Then she turned back to the stove.  
  
Nuriko looked down at his plate. On top of the pancakes, "I'm Sorry" was  
spelled out in ruby strawberry slices. He smiled. Things were back to  
normal...  
  
...Or at least as normal as they could be around Kina and her group. 


	12. Cherry Blossoms and Moonlit Nights

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 11  
  
Yue eyed his plate of pancakes suspiciously.  
  
"Are you sure these are edible?" he doubtfully stopped poking Kina's pancakes and slowly cut out a square. His forked raised to his mouth as his other three friends stared at his first bite. He chewed.  
  
"Your food ruined me!"  
  
"Shut up, they're not that bad!" Kina frowned slightly; she had put all her effort into make these pancakes for her friends.  
  
"Well, now nothing else will taste good, because these are so delicious!"  
  
After hearing this, Kina carefully put down the large kitchen knife that she had been prepared to use. "The reason I'm so good at making these is because your opinion matters to me." She walked up to the calendar and, with a big red "X", crossed off the previous date. Her gaze hardened as she noticed the morning's date. "Oh, just peachy," she muttered under her breath. "It's tomorrow."  
  
Yue raised an eyebrow. What was his eccentric friend doing now?  
  
Before anyone could comment, Kina spun around with a 1000-watt smile lighting her face. "Tell you what, guys. Since I was so...umm...not nice yesterday, I'll do all the chores today. You guys can take the day off!"  
  
Hotohori instantly got in her face. "Promise me you'll take good care of her?" he asked fervently.  
  
Kina blinked. "Who?"  
  
"My dear little kitchen table!" he replied, as if the answer was obvious. "You have to make her all nice and sparkly, OK?" He laid his head on the table and stroked the table. "Don't worry, dear, I'll only be gone for a few hours. It's OK!"  
  
"Hori? I hate to interrupt this touching scene, but your hair's in my pancakes."  
  
"Oh. Sorry, Nuri."  
  
"And if you flirt with that table *one more time*, you'll be sleeping on the couch for a week."  
  
"Point taken," Hotohori replied instantly, and sat down.  
  
"Are you sure about doing all of the chores?" Yue asked her carefully, an evil grin beginning to form on his face, he was already thinking of many extra chores he could make her do. (Hey, just because they're in love doesn't mean they're not going to torture each other once in a while!) He laughed maniacally to himself- or so he thought.  
  
"Yue? Are you OK?" Nuriko asked him suspiciously. "You're laughing strangely."  
  
"Oh." Yue promptly shut up.  
  
"In answer to your question, yes, I'm sure about this. But," Kina added, "I'll know if you add any extra chores. I know I deserve it, but do it and you'll find yourself sleeping on the couch too."  
  
"Hey!" Yue protested. "You can't kick me out of my own bed! I mean, it's not like we're like them!"  
  
"I don't know whether to be offended or not," Nuriko commented wryly.  
  
"I meant that we're not...um...as close as you," Yue explained, his face a lovely shade of pink. "She can't kick me out of that bed because she doesn't sleep in it!"  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
"Sooo..." Kina interrupted hastily, "Who wants seconds?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Nuriko, are you ready to go?" Hotohori called to the other bishonen.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Give me a sec to finish braiding my hair, OK? Go get Yue!" came the reply.  
  
"All right." Hotohori sauntered down the hallway to Yue's room and rapped sharply on the door with his fist. "Oi, Yue! Are you ready to go yet?"  
  
"Go where?" Yue opened the door; clad only in his blue striped pajama bottoms and a towel around his neck. His toothbrush was held in one hand, ready for action.  
  
Hotohori looked around secretively. "You know...*there*."  
  
"No, I don't know where. What's your damage, anyway?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, the emperor instructed him, "Just get dressed and come with Nuriko and me. We'll explain later, so don't tell Kina where we're going."  
  
"Look, *I* don't even know where we're going. How can I tell Kina if I don't even know?"  
  
"...Just get ready."  
  
~*~  
  
Kina hummed a quiet tune to herself as she grabbed a broom and dustpan and began to clean up the glass littering the hallway. "All the memories I have are beautiful in my mind...but they don't feed the hunger deep inside my soul..." Her three companions had left an hour or so previously on a mission that they wouldn't define. She was alone in the house and, with the morning sun shining in through the windows; she was in a fairly good mood. She was so engaged in her song that at first she didn't notice Neko padding into the room.  
  
"And tonight I thought I'd be just sitting in my sorrow....hmm?" She looked up from the floor that she was sweeping.  
  
"Meow," Neko told her.  
  
"Aw, Neko, you shouldn't be in here. C'mon, let's find you a nice piece of lint to attack." She reached down to pick the feline up and noticed a small glass bottle lying next to her- the one she had dropped the previous night. She picked it up in her hands, feeling every square inch of the lavender- tinted glass. Recognition dawned in her eyes and she whispered, "Mama..."  
  
~*~  
  
Yue glanced over at Nuriko from his place across the aisle. "What am I supposed to be looking for again?"  
  
"Potatoes," Nuriko replied automatically.  
  
"Right, potatoes. Got it." He selected a package, looked it over, and picked up another. "Choices..." After five minutes of intensive study, he selected a completely different package. He tossed it to Hotohori and casually asked, "So what's all this for? You guys just went shopping three days ago."  
  
"We're making Kina a surprise meal tonight," Hotohori told him. "Don't tell her, OK?"  
  
"Um, ok, why are we making her a surprise meal?" Yue grabbed a tub of ice cream and dropped it into their cart.  
  
"Because it's her birthday. She doesn't like to make a big deal of it so we just have a special meal and we leave it at that." Nuriko butted into the conversation.  
  
"Do you guys really need me around or can I head home early?" Yue boredly  
poked Nuriko.  
  
"Well, I guess you can head home. Plus you can distract Kina while we get  
the meal ready!" Hotohori nodded in agreement with Nuriko.  
  
~*~  
  
Engrossed in her book, Kina didn't hear the apartment door open and close. She had completed all of her chores and was now curled up in her unmade bed reading, "Saint Tail #3" while in her other hand she clutched the lavender  
perfume bottle. She paused for a moment and looked down at the bottle again, studying the ethereal design that was engraved into the glass. Her mother always smelled of vanilla and cinnamon on a warm summer day. It had been her mother's favorite perfume; memories began to flash through Kina's  
head as the familiar scent filled her room.  
  
~~ Flash Back ~~  
  
"Mommy? Can I put on some perfume too? I want to be just like you!" A tiny,  
red-haired girl tugged onto her mother's pants. Kina's mother had red haired that fell to her waist loosely and was wearing a cotton dress that  
had a rose pattern printed on it while a white apron guarded the front  
against any possible stains.  
  
"Just a tiny bit. Be careful honey, the bottle is very delicate." The motherly figure leaned down and handed Kina the bottle, which she proudly received. Holding it as if it was the most prized treasure Kina had ever had, she began to spray it around her neck. The floral sent filled the room  
giving it a heaven-like smell.  
  
A tender laugh escaped the mother's lips, "Not that much honey!" She leaned down as the tiny child gave her mother the bottle back and she carefully  
put it away.  
  
~~ End of Flash Back ~~  
  
A footstep brought Kina back to reality. Glancing up quickly, she saw Yue  
leaning against the doorframe watching her. He smiled a toothy grin and  
walked towards her.  
  
"Hey are you ok? You look sad." Yue sat down on the bed next to Kina, making it sink down where he was sitting. Grumbling, he made a comment that  
was something like, "I'm not that fat!"  
  
Kina giggled at his remark then smiled softly, "I'm ok! But I hate tomorrow!" Her gaze met the bedspread where her fingers decided to pick at  
a piece of lint.  
  
"Why?" Yue questioned. He remembered Nuriko and Hotohori had said it was her birthday but why would she hate it? So she was getting old, wasn't that  
a good thing for her. Didn't it mean she had lived one more year?  
  
The thoughts clouded his mind until he shoved them away and waited for her  
reply.  
  
"Because it's my birthday!" The grip on her book tightened slightly then  
relaxed.  
  
"I thought that birthdays were a good thing that were usually celebrated. I knew you were a freak!" Yue laughed, thinking this would cheer the girl up.  
An uncomfortable silence went on for a moment before she looked up and  
stared at him blankly.  
  
"My parents died on my twelfth birthday." She muttered quietly, her hand  
was now clenching the book and perfume bottle, making her knuckles turn  
white.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry." He looked down at the bedspread also and picked at a piece  
of lint, then he wrapped his arm around her to comfort her, "My parents also died when I was young." Yue proceeded to tell Kina the whole story.  
  
"I'm sorry Yue!" Kina put her hand on his and squeezed it gently.  
  
"It's strange, you're the first person I've ever told about my past and I  
feel like I can trust you enough that I can tell you anything."  
  
"You can talk to me anytime you want." Kina smiled up at him, looking into  
his eyes.  
  
"I'm going to give you the best birthday ever Kina!" Yue thought to himself, then he jumped up, fire raging in his eyes and left the room, "Bye  
Kina! I've got a few things I forgot to do. Be back soon."  
  
~*~  
  
Nuriko and Hotohori crept inside the apartment to find Kina asleep in her  
room and Yue gone.  
  
"I'm going to get a shower then we can get started on some of the food."  
Nuriko smiled at Huri.  
  
"Ok." He winked at his friend.  
  
~*~  
  
"HOT-O-HOOOOORRRIIIII!! OH' SO HOT-OOOO-HOORRII!" A god-awful noise sounded through the apartment, jerking Kina out of her sleep. She reached under her  
bed and pulled out a baseball bat.  
  
"My gosh, what is that noise? It can't be the cats! Geez, a dying cat would sound better than this!" She uneasily crept toward the source of the noise,  
raising the bat above her head.  
  
"SUPER SPOON AND SLIM JIM GIRL FORM TOGETHER AS ONE TO MAKE CAPTION FANFIC!" The voice then proceeded to sing a theme song to the famous show,  
"Caption Fanfic."  
  
Kina flung the door opened, yelled an amazon scream and ran into the bathroom ready to beat whoever or whatever was making the noise, to a pulp. She froze, the bat slipping out of her grip and clattering to the floor.  
  
"Nu...u..r..i..i?!?! So..o..rry!" She stuttered slowly. Nuriko was in the bathtub scrubbing his back and was *singing* the Caption Fanfic theme song. Kina edged her way out of the bathroom dumfounded. "Nuriko, you need some serious singing lessons." She muttered to herself then burst out laughing. 


	13. Sugar Snowflakes and Festivities

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 12  
  
A streaming turkey with stuffing encircling it and elaborate deserts with those little swan shaped napkins. Yue drooled in his sleep, dreaming of the great feast that Nuriko and Hotohori were going to make for Kina. But of course she'd share with him! His eyes opened to see the same white wall that his bed was pulled up against. Filled with anticipation, he made a mad dash for the kitchen.  
  
"Foosh." The sound echoed through the kitchen, not a soul in sight and not a parcel of food around.  
  
"Nooooo..." Yue's head dropped sadly, "Where's the food?" He thought to himself, "Now I remember! The food is for lunch. Ahhhh!"  
  
Something made him stop talking to himself as his entire body froze; someone was walking in the hallway. Tediously, Yue walked and pushed his body against the kitchen wall, peering out to see whom it was.  
  
"Bye-bye Neko and Tama!" Kina leaned down and gave each kitten a kiss on their foreheads.  
  
*Where's she going? Should I stop her?* Yue asked himself but a gut feeling told him not to stop her or even let her know he was there.  
  
Kina stood up and gracefully swung a scarf around her neck, pulled her purse up higher on her shoulder then briskly walked out of the apartment.  
  
Yue couldn't help himself. He had to follow her.  
  
Fresh morning dew was littered across the grass and the cool air nibbled at her ears.  
  
"Good morning Miss! Yes, I'd like one twelve bouquet of pink roses and one twelve bouquet of white roses." Kina paid the woman and gently carried the two large packs of roses in her arms.  
  
Yue pulled his sunglasses further up on his nose. He didn't look too conspicuous, he was only wearing a long black trench coat, and a black hat pulled down low and sunglasses. Quickly, he followed Kina keeping about four or five feet between them.  
  
"What is she doing? This is too strange! And who are those flowers for? Why, if she's two timing me!!! Wait, are we even together though?" Anger flashed for a moment but Yue decided not to jump to conclusions.  
  
"Have you ever gotten the strange sense that someone is stalking you?" Kina asked herself then turned around quickly to see no one behind her.  
  
"Oh-my-gosh! That was close!" Yue's breath went out quickly as he peaked around the corner and continued to follow Kina.  
  
The forest thickened as Kina hastily quickened her step; she knew where she was going. Which was something Yue didn't know. A tiny, dirt pathway led Kina to her destined, but she didn't need the pathway to get there, she knew every step of the way by heart. Kina had walked along this pathway for seven years and she walked them many, many times. And the familiar tune found it's way to Kina's lips. The first time she had come here, she heard an old peddler singing it and it had stayed with her forever. Every step the words flowed into her mind again and again. She always sang it when she was coming here. Then the words softly tumbled out of her mouth.  
  
~*~  
  
Those cold blue eyes I wish to embrace them in this heart This courage lost Remember it once again Hiding in the shadows That follows your back afar Anger, unspeakable sadness Keeping them to oneself... In the dark forests you wander Purple scars At a falling star gleaming in the night Staring Ice Blue Eyes  
  
Those frozen blue eyes  
  
I wish to embrace them in this heart This courage lost Remember it once again The pain of that wound does not cease Just cry it out Warm tears Melt the ice harvest rain I am waiting...  
  
~*~  
  
The cherry blossoms had begun to bloom, as they always did around this time of year. The silken pink petals angelically fluttered towards the ground, being tossed and turned by the wind. Blown this way and that. She was almost there.  
  
Yue hid behind a tree, gently following Kina and listening to the song.  
  
~*~  
  
I ask only for strength Coldness that burns  
  
Throw away the pride, and hate  
  
This time, stop it... A battle, asking for tomorrow I am a fighter, defending love To the heart that flees the darkness But turns don't look back That solitude, anger, scream Let me feel them too Taking back this This true courage once again Melting those frozen blue eyes And wiping off the tears from this heart Warm tears Melt the ice harvest rain I am waiting...  
  
~*~  
  
Soft footfalls echoed through the grove that she had just entered. Two gravestones where in front of her.  
  
"Hi again Mommy and Daddy. I brought you some flowers." Kina gently set down the two bouquets of roses, "How are you two doing? I'm doing fine and dandy as usual. Nuriko and Hotohori are taking good care of me." She began to tell the stones the recent events.  
  
"I understand now." Yue muttered, suddenly felling horribly ashamed for following her and then doubting her intents. If Yue could return to where his family was buried, he would do the same thing as Kina. But that place was far, far away. That song, it, it was him she was singing it for. He flinched as an unfamiliar feeling welled up inside up him and a warm, salty tear fell down his cheek. Yue wiped it and looked at the same droplet of water on his finger. And he felt better strangely, as if a large load that he had been carrying around with him had just been lifted off his shoulders.  
  
"Do you want to know a secret? I think I'm in love. I'm only three years older than Juliet (from Romeo & Juliet.) Actually, since today is my birthday then I am four years older than her." Kina smiled tenderly and looked at one of the roses. "He is a bishonen like you daddy. And he's a fine young man. But mommy, I don't know what to do! My heart is weakening as the days go by. I know the doctor said it was a miracle that I survived these last five years but I never want it to end. It's only been two weeks, but now it seems to go by like a dream. I miss you both. Tell grandmother and grandfather hello for me. John sends his love, even if he objects to how I live. I love you both." Kina opened the wrappings that where around the two bouquets of roses and she mixed the pink and white roses together. After she arranged the mixture of pinks and whites she placed a pile in front of each gravestone, "I've got to be on my way now. Until next time, good-bye! You'll always be here." Kina pointed to her heart and stood up. Spinning around she ran along the dirt pathway, back home. The tears blended in with her sweat as she ran. Kina smiled as the cherry blossoms floated by her, tickling her face as they occasionally hit her.  
  
"I better get home!" Yue jumped into the air but before he left, he pulled out two large silvery-white feathers and placed one by each grave in with the roses. Yue began opening his wings and flew home ahead of Kina so she wouldn't find out he had followed her.  
  
~*~  
  
"Happy Birthday Kina!" Nuriko, Hotohori and Yue all smiled as she walked back inside, taking off her scarf. It was already lunchtime; Kina had been out all morning visiting her parents. Drool began to run down her mouth as the scent of food reached her nose.  
  
"Follow your nose, wherever it goes!" Nuriko laughed.  
  
Kina ran into the kitchen to see the table covered in plates of delicate and delicious food.  
  
"Oh! Nuri! Hori! Thank you! They're all my favorite too!" She jumped and hugged the two bishonen, kissing their cheeks.  
  
"You're welcome! And for desert we'll have fried ice cream!" They both replied in unison, proud at their accomplishment of learning how to make fried ice cream. (After they wasted four buckets of ice cream because when they attempted to make it, they didn't pull the ice cream out fast enough and it melted!)  
  
After finishing saying 'grace' the four eagerly dug into the food. There was a bowl of angel hair pasta, meatballs and garlic bread. In another corner of the table was chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and stuffing. There were noodles and roast beef sandwiches. And of course fried ice cream.  
  
"I have a surprise for you." Yue blushed and smiled widely, he had just finished helping Nuriko and Hotohori washing the dishes. Giggling could be heard coming from the kitchen and soon the two bishonen where splashing each other with sink water.  
  
"What is it? You didn't have to. Like I said before, I don't like to have a big deal done with my birthday."  
  
"Today is the Festival of the Moon. Did you know that? Well, I'm going to take you with me and we're going to have the best time ever!" Yue clapped his hands together, he was so proud of his brilliant idea.  
  
"Thank you so much!" Kina hugged Yue around his neck then skipped off to find a suitable kimono to wear.  
  
"You're lucky, she would normally turn down any kind of invitation. Especially today, she must not want to hurt your feelings." Nuriko chuckled, walking in with drenched hair.  
  
"Nurrrriiii! Get back here and help me wash the table!"  
  
"What is it with you and that stupid table?" Nuriko yelled back through the kitchen doorway.  
  
"It's not stupid, now say you're sorry!"  
  
"No." Nuriko crossed his arms firmly, "I refuse to apologize to a TABLE Hori! It's an inanimate object!"  
  
"If you don't then I won't make you any more of your Nuriko Special drinks!" (Which in this case is a mixture of sodas.)  
  
"Fiiinnee!" Nuriko grumbled a 'I'm sorry!' Then stalked off into the kitchen.  
  
~*~  
  
Kina dug through her drawer until she reached what she had been looking for. Carefully, she pulled out the silk kimono and took a good look at its condition.  
  
"STUUUUUUPID MOTHS!!!" She screamed, glaring at all the holes that where all over the kimono, "It's all ruined! And there are so many holes, I can't fix it!" Kina sulked, then ran outside and batted at a few random moths in anger but then she remembered something.  
  
"THUNK!" The clattering noises resonated throughout the apartment. Kina was digging through the small storage closet for a particular item. She smiled when she found it. Pitter-pattering sounded though the hallway now as Kina ran to her room and set down a wrapped box, gingerly she tore the paper off and opened the lid of the box. Inside it wrapped neatly was her mother's old kimono. She knew her mother had been about her size when she owned the kimono so Kina hoped it would fit.  
  
She spun in front of the mirror and whispered, "Thank you mommy." Kina was dressed in the silk kimono and it was a perfect fit. It was a deep mysterious blue with silver and baby blue flowers sewn over the dark blue in random places. The blue brought out her own blue eyes and made her dark red hair blend in well. The waist wrap-around was luminous silver and the deep blue matched the triangle on Kina's forehead. Slipping on her sandals, Kina did one more check in the mirror, she had her hair pulled back in a small braid that was then twisted back up making it tear-shaped and it was held in place with a exquisitely hand-painted hair clip. It was black and painted in silver with flowers and humming birds all over it. She shimmered with each step; Kina looked like a Moon Goddess.  
  
~*~  
  
Yue pulled at his belt, tightening it so the clothes would stay on. He had on a green colored wrap that had brown bamboo branches printed all over the wrap. It had large sleeves in which his arms hung out of and a dark green belt that held his wrap shut. It was like a large bathrobe but much more fancy and more formal.  
  
~*~  
  
"Now where was I suppose to meet him?" Kina glanced around as she crept near the festival grounds.  
  
"Hey Kina! Over here!"  
  
A voice called to her. She spun around to see Yue walking towards her. Around them cherry trees swayed in the wind, causing the small blossoms to fly all around the two people. He finally caught up to her and proceeded to catch his breath.  
  
"Ready to go?" Yue smiled, he had been leaning down with his hands on his knees but now he stood up straight.  
  
"Yes. Can you believe it, it's been two whole weeks." Kina gently took his hand.  
  
"Yeah, and it's all going by slowly, like syrup, sweet and yummy. I never want it to end."  
  
Kina tensed when Yue said he didn't want it to end, she knew it would have to one day. She shook the thought out of her head quickly and smiled, looking up at him.  
  
"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Did you know that? I know it's a bit early, but I was wondering, will you be my Valentine?" Kina held out a small box of chocolate for Yue.  
  
He grinned and took the box, "Of course." He replied, squeezing her hand gently. The two walked towards the festival, with cherry blossoms floating all around them like it was all a dream. 


	14. Valentine's Day Love and Old Friends Don...

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 13  
  
"Sugar Snowflakes." Her lips moved in unison as she swayed on the brightly- lit stage. Then she finished her song and was immediately showered with cheering and clapping.  
  
"You should enter the kareoke contest!" Yue whimpered to Kina like a little baby that would cry to get a new toy.  
  
"No! I couldn't sing in front of so many people like that lady!" Kina pointed at the woman on the stage that had just finished her song.  
  
"But you sing so pretty!" Yue continued while buying Kina and himself some sushi.  
  
"When have you ever heard me sing?" Kina glared at him then gratefully took the food.  
  
"I just have a feeling you might sing well!" Yue lied through his teeth, then took the sushi out of Kina's hands, "No food unless you enter the contest!"  
  
Her eyes flared with anger, he had gone too far in denying her food.  
  
"I'll do it, but one thing. YOU have to sing with me too!"  
  
Yue's eyes widened, "Me? Sing...? NO WAY!" He slammed his foot down while Kina happily ate her sushi that she had stole back.  
  
"I won't do it unless you do it too. You're a big chicken!!!" She taunted him.  
  
"F...f..ine!" *I can't believe I'm going to do this* He kept telling himself he'd be OK.  
  
"So what song?" Kina dragged him over to the entry booth.  
  
"The contest will begin in two hours. Please have a seat and enjoy the singings of...." An announcement blared over the noise and commotion.  
  
"What song? AGH! I have no idea!" Yue banged his head on a pole that was close by.  
  
"How about a duet?" Kina chirped in.  
  
"No way!" Yue crossed his arms firmly. Kina looked up at him, making her bottom lip stick out a bit and she began to pout.  
  
"Grrr...ok!" Yue melted when she gave him that kind of look. She probably had him wrapped around her little finger.  
  
"Now what song? Hmmm...let's see..." She put her hands under her chin and went into deep thought, "How about this one?" Kina pointed to a title.  
  
"Ok." Yue shrugged.  
  
"YUE! I wanna try that!" Kina grabbed onto Yue's arm and dragged him over to a little stand. There, a small pond was set up with gold fish swimming inside of it.  
  
"Hey there Pretty Girl! Want to give it a try? Catch a fish and you can keep it!" A man said to Kina, "Only a dollar per net!" He then held out a strange looking net, it had a wooden handle but instead of having netting it was paper pulled tightly in the center.  
  
"Ok! We'll take two!" Yue handed him two dollars and took the two nets, handing one to Kina.  
  
Kina's eager eyes looked over all the fish until she spotted one that was orange with a little white spot on his head, "Oh that one's cute!" She quickly scooped him up and held a bag under her net just as it broke, "Look Yue!! I caught one!!" The fish swam around in the bag.  
  
Yue angrily held up his net, which had a big, gaping hole in it and no fish, "Beware fish of the sea! I shall get you!" He gave the man another dollar and scooped at a fish, "BWAHAHA! I got you!" Yue laughed, then it ripped. He bit his lip and his eyebrow twitched slightly. He handed the man twenty dollars and continued to go after the fish, and lost them each time.  
  
"It's ok Yue! Let's not waste all our money! Come on!" Kina tried to pull him away from the stand.  
  
"Easy for you to say! YOU caught one!" Yue glared at her then around at the people as if the whole thing was a conspiracy against him.  
  
"Look! Pocky!" Yue blushed as Kina wrapped her arm around his and dragged him to the Pocky stand, buying them each a pack of the chocolate dipped delicacies.  
  
"Attention, the Kareoke contest will begin in five minutes." A funny- sounding voice announced.  
  
"We better go get ready!" The pair was off to the stage to prepare.  
  
"And now, our final show, Kina Misatu and her bishonen Yue will singing 'You're Still The One by Shania Twain and Elton John."  
  
Yue had strongly objected to Kina saying, "And her bishonen Yue." But she told him that she could only enter him if she claimed he was her bishonen.  
  
The lights went out all around the stage as the curtain opened and two silhouettes could be seen. As the music began, two spotlights shone on Kina and Yue.  
  
Her hands trembled, unable to believe this was happening. Her voice stuttered at first then she began to sing, "Look's like we made it. Look how far we've come now baby."  
  
Yue looked up nervously but then decided to take it like a man. Or bishonen. He leaned in closer to Kina and sang, "I took the long way, we knew we'd get there someday."  
  
Kina stepped towards Yue then swung her head up at the crowd, "They said out there, they'll never make it."  
  
"But just look at us holding on."  
  
"We're still together, still going strong." The two both sang, staring into each others eyes then they turned towards the crowd, Kina walking to the left and Yue walking to the right and both sang, "Still the one I long for, the one I belong to, you're still the one I want for all of time. Still the one that I love, the only one I dream of. Still the one I kiss good-night."  
  
Kina stuck out her arm that wasn't holding the microphone and held her hand out open then closed it, pulling it towards her heart as she swayed, "Ain't nothing better, we've beat the odds together."  
  
She turned to Yue who sang, "Never did listen, look how far we've come now baby."  
  
"They said, out there, they'll never make it."  
  
"But just look at us holding on. We're still together, still going strong. Still the one I long for, the one I belong to, you're still the one I want for all of time. Still the one that I love, the only one I dream of. Still the one I kiss good-night."  
  
"Still the one." Kina stepped towards Yue.  
  
The crowd cheered and whistled. Yue walked to the center of the stage and leaned down on his right knee, "Well at the time, I was everything and nothing all in one. Yes I was. When you found me, I was feeling like a cloud across the sun." Yue stood up and stepped towards Kina.  
  
"What I need to tell you. How you lied up in yourself the other day. In a new light, you just shined like a beacon on a bay." Her voice sang out like a dove on a new morning.  
  
"And I can't explain it, but it's something about the say you look tonight." He stepped closer.  
  
"Takes my breath away." Kina walked closer and they both held out their hands.  
  
"It's that feeling I get about you deep inside and I can't describe but there's something about the way you look tonight. Takes my breath away." The two sang together, now holding each other's hands and facing the crowd.  
  
"The way you look tonight." She turned towards Yue, "With a smile, you pulled the deepest secrets from my heart."  
  
"In all honesty, I'm speechless and I don't know where to start." He turned to face Kina while the two stepped closer.  
  
"And I can't explain, but there's something about the way you look tonight." They both sang together.  
  
"Takes my breath away." He smiled softly.  
  
"It's that feeling I get about you deep inside. And I can't describe it, but it's something about the way you look tonight. Takes my breath away. The way you look tonight. The way you look tonight." They finished, leaning in closer. And closer as the last words left there mouths and rang on the note. Then it all happened quickly, a tingling feeling surged through their bodies as they kissed softly then they both quickly looked away, bowing to the audience that was cheering for them madly.  
  
~*~  
  
"Oh-My-Gosh! I can't BELIEVE we won first place!" Kina jumped up, holding the trophy in her arms that said "First Place Kareoke Contest- Kina and Yue" and had a small person on top that was singing into a microphone.  
  
"Me too! And we won $200!" Yue nodded in agreement, still in shock from his first kiss, "Aren't you glad I entered us in the contest?"  
  
"You entered us? Pish! You know it was all because of ME!" She poked her finger into his side and laughed as they both strolled home.  
  
As they stopped at the door, Kina looked up at Yue in the moonlight. She  
could vaguely make out his face, "Thank you. That was the best birthday  
I've ever had."  
  
"You're welcome." He muttered; brushing back some of her hair behind her  
ear and the two leaned in closer to kiss.  
  
"Welcome home you two!!!!!!!!!" Nuriko opened the door then two people  
kissed his cheek.  
  
"AAAGHHHH!!" Yue and Kina screamed, jumping back.  
  
Nuriko's hand went to the place they both kissed him, "Oh I feel so loved!"  
  
"Nuriko, get back in here!" Hotohori's voice echoed to him.  
  
"What's that?" Kina pointed towards a small bottle in Nuriko's hand.  
  
"Oh um, nothing." He quickly hid it behind his back.  
  
"Hey, that's my whip cream!" Yue yelled, "I got that at the grocery store  
for my ice cream! Give it back!" He lunged for the bottle but missed;  
getting sprayed in his face by Nuriko.  
  
"Hori! They're home and they want the whipped cream!" Nuriko handed it to Yue who readied to spray Nuriko back with it; Yue was wiping off the cream  
from his face.  
  
"Ssssssssssss." Air sprayed out.  
  
"Whoops, it's all gone." Yue looked down at it but was promptly sprayed  
with a little bit of extra cream.  
  
"Let's go to bed." Kina walked to her room laughing. 


	15. Heartache and Regret

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 14  
  
"Kina wake up! Happy Valentine's Day!"  
  
The girl slowly opened her eyes to see Yue staring down at her.  
  
"AGHH!!" She screamed and jumped back.  
  
"Hey...my feelings are suddenly hurt."  
  
"Sorry, you scared me. It's early in the morning!" Kina laughed quietly  
while making up an excuse for being scared nearly half to death, "Happy  
Valentines!" She cheerfully skipped into the kitchen and hugged her  
bishonen.  
  
"Today, I'm going to take you somewhere!" Yue looked down at her and  
grinned cheekily.  
  
"Ok! But where? Oooohhh how spooky, it's a secret!"  
  
"You gave her chocolate last night didn't you?" Hotohori raised an eyebrow  
as he questioned Yue.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Yue gave him a confused look.  
  
"That makes her hyper. I mean VERY hyper." Nuriko sweat dropped.  
  
"WE'RE GOING ON A TRIP!" Kina danced around with Tama and Neko.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ready to go?" Yue knocked on Kina's door, but instead felt him hitting  
something soft.  
  
"Ouch!" Kina screamed, "Don't hit me!"  
  
"AH! Sorry!" Yue bowed for forgiveness.  
  
"Kiss my feet! Just joking! Let's go!" She was wearing a sundress and a  
straw hat.  
  
Yue smiled at how cute she looked. He was wearing jeans and a white T-  
shirt. The two walked out the door.  
  
"Where's Nuriko and Hotohori?"  
  
"Oh this is when they go do whatever they want usually, you know it's a holiday!" Kina nodded then slipped a heart-shaped box of chocolates into  
Yue's hand.  
  
"Thank you!" He grinned.  
  
"So where are we really going?" Kina looked up, realizing they where now deep in a forest, "Wait a minute, you're not taking me out to the forest to  
kill me are you? AHHH!" She quickly broke away a few feet from Yue.  
  
"No stupid!" Yue moaned, "I'm not that evil. I want to show you somewhere! This is my favorite place to go. It's my own little place I go to when I  
need to think and I've never shown anyone it before."  
  
"I feel special now!" Kina smiled and kept walking along side him, if you looked closely you could tell that Yue was a good foot taller than Kina.  
  
"You are special." He said quietly. A rustling came from some bushes  
nearby.  
  
"H...hello?" Kina said nervously as they crept towards the bush. Yue  
protectively pushed Kina behind him.  
  
"YUE OLD BUDDY!" A young man with dark black-purple like hair jumped out  
and hugged Yue.  
  
"V...V..Van?" Yue managed to utter, for the man was holding him in a strong grip then he let go of Yue, thankfully or else Yue would have died from his  
oxygen supply being cut off.  
  
"Yeah it's me!" Van stepped back to look at his friend. He was wearing  
regular, human clothes. At this Van blinked confusedly but ignored the  
strange feeling.  
  
*Van Fanel. His old friend Van! He'd known him since he was a baby.* Yue thought to himself and looked at his friend. He was wearing his regular tan  
pants and red shirt that was tied at the top with white string.  
  
"What's up man? I've missed you and raiding those stupid human villages! Where you been ever since we bailed from the cops? I thought they had got  
you! I've been searching for you! Hey, there's a bishonen trainer a few miles away, want to go teach them a lesson?" Van blurted out quickly; he wanted to have some fun just like old times. They had been separated when the two where raiding a human village but the police came and they both ran  
different ways.  
  
Yue was in a panic and was turning pale. *What am I suppose to do? Thankfully, Kina's still behind me. What do I do? Ahhh! Kina's human! And he still thinks I hate humans! If he knows I'm with a human he'll freak out and kill me! Quick, think Yue think! Just ignore Kina and pretend like you  
don't know where she came from. Yeah that might work!* His mind quickly  
told him.  
  
"Who are you?" Kina peaked out from behind Yue.  
  
*Oooohh crap! I don't want to hurt Kina's feelings but I've got to do  
this!* Yue told himself.  
  
"I'm Van Fanel! And who are you little missy? Lost?" Van flicked the girls forehead, "You're a bishojo aren't you? She yours Yue? Ha, looks like you got a good looking one there! Wait a minute!" He looked at Kina intently,  
"You're part human aren't you!"  
  
"Yeah I am! See Yue, I did like I promised I would, I told him I'm part  
human and bishojo!" Kina smiled at Yue.  
  
"No, I don't know where she came from." Yue responded to Van, his voice was  
monotone.  
  
"Oh, good. For a second I thought you where a traitor! Can you believe it? Boy am I stupid! You wouldn't break your vow to hate humans!" Van shoved Kina, causing her to fall into the dirt, "Leave you little human brat!" He  
laughed.  
  
"Don't do...!" Yue stopped himself, telling Kina he was sorry over and over again in his mind, but he knew she couldn't hear him. He couldn't back out on Van though, Van had ran with him when the village was destroyed so many years ago. They stayed together for years tracking down the man that killed his parents and they spent all they're time playing tricks on humans and they both vowed together to always hate humans. They where blood brothers even. How could he go against his friend of over fourteen years for a girl  
he had only known for two weeks?  
  
"Yue, come on! Let's go to that place you where going to show me!" Kina  
stood up and briskly grabbed Yue's arms.  
  
He shoved her hand off of his arm, "Don't touch me you disgusting human!"  
Yue turned and coldly glared at her.  
  
"Y...Yue?" Kina gulped, what was going on? Had he turned on her and  
forgotten all that had happened between them.  
  
"Hey, girly! He said leave!" Van screamed at her, pushing her again.  
  
Kina turned and ran into the bushes.  
  
"Come on, let's go Yue!" The bishonen turned towards his friend.  
  
"I can't talk! I'm sorry but I've got a new village I found to terrorize  
but it's really risky, I think only I should go." Yue lied.  
  
"Oh sure!"  
  
"Seriously! Next time ok?" Yue looked at Van sternly which made the boy  
promptly shut up. He knew that glare and he knew not to mess with it.  
  
"Ok fine! See you later! You know where I'll be." Van turned and stalked  
off towards the bishonen village that he lived in.  
  
"Sorry! See you!" Yue waved then quickly turned in the direction Kina had ran off to, "Kina wait!" He yelled, running swiftly and smiled when he saw  
her figure still walking towards home.  
  
She ignored him when she heard him calling her name.  
  
"Kina, let me explain!" He grabbed her arm, which she quickly pulled away  
from his touch.  
  
"Don't bother! I get it. You saw an old bishonen friend of yours that you use to wreck havoc with and you didn't want to look like a traitor to him.  
It's ok."  
  
"Thank you! It's like you read my mind!" Yue smiled, everything was ok  
between them, she understood. Everything had turned out perfect!  
  
"Well, read mine." Her eyes hardened in anger but they appeared very hurt behind the anger. After a few minutes of silence Kina raised her arm back  
and using all of her strength, she struck Yue across his face.  
  
All the blood drained from his face as a sharp pain tingled on his cheek and then it went numb. A large red mark was on his left cheek and it was in  
the shape of a hand.  
  
"Kina wait! I'm sorry! Please let me explain!" But his words fell on deaf ears as Kina turned and ran, crying. Her hat flew off and Yue caught it in  
his hands, holding onto it tightly as if it was his only link to life  
itself. Rain began to fall, getting harder by the minute. Yue wanted to follow her and explain, he wanted her to understand, but his legs couldn't  
move.  
  
~*~  
  
The rain poured down on Kina, drenching her in cold water down to her bones until her body felt numb. She couldn't see anything in front of her; it was either because of the rain or the tears streaming from her eyes. Her breath  
came in rapidly as she ran, running to where she did not know; all she  
could do was run.  
  
~ ~  
  
And now I'm alone again  
No one to turn  
No one to go to  
Without a hope  
Without a friend  
Without a face to say hello to  
And now the night is here  
I can make believe he is here.  
Sometimes I walk alone  
When everybody else is sleeping  
I think of him  
And then I'm happy  
With the company I'm keeping  
The city goes to bed  
And I can live inside my head.  
  
~ ~  
  
Kina's eyes blurred with more tears. Trying to blink them away, she ran through the forest, not knowing where she was going. He was Yue, the one and only person who she had fallen in love with. He had made her feel like  
mush whenever he smiled and he had literally swept her off her feet.  
  
And now, he had broken her heart.  
  
~ ~  
  
On my own  
Pretending he's beside me  
All alone  
I walk with him till morning  
Without him I feel his arms around me  
And when I lose my way  
I close my eyes  
And he has found me  
In the rain  
The pavement shines like silver  
All the lights  
Are misty in the river  
In the darkness  
The trees are full of starlight  
And all I see  
Is him and me  
Forever and forever  
  
~ ~  
  
Kina felt teardrops roll down her cheeks all over again as they splashed  
and mixed with the rain. She wished she was with him tonight but she couldn't face him now. She wanted him to hug her, to kiss her, and to tell her that he loved her, but she feared those things would never happen. He  
didn't love her. She was just a human.  
  
~~  
  
And I know  
It's only in my mind  
That I'm talking to myself  
And not to him  
And although  
I know that he is blind  
Still I say  
There is a way for us.  
I love him  
But when the night is over  
He is gone  
The river's just a river  
Without him  
The world around me changes  
The trees are bare  
And everywhere  
The streets are full of strangers  
  
~~  
  
Kina sighed again, "Why don't I ever just tell him?" There had been plenty of opportunities, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, and now, she was living the consequences. If he wouldn't tell his friend that he even  
knew Kina, then how could he love her? Always in secret, hiding how he feels? But now she wasn't sure how he felt, did he really even like or love her? Maybe it was all an act just to give the dying girl a happy time. All she felt was doubt. She ran faster, only wanting to find a way to escape  
the pain in her soul.  
  
~~  
  
I love him  
But everyday I'm learning  
Without me  
All my life  
I've only been pretending  
Without me  
His world will go on turning  
A world that's full of happiness  
That I have never known.  
I love him  
I love him  
I love him  
But only  
On my own  
  
~~  
  
Kina's foot caught on a root as she went flying forward into a puddle of mud but she pulled herself up, ripping her clothes and piercing pain went through her ankle and leg but she kept running. Branches scrapped against her, the rain came down harder. Kina had had heart pains before but this one was like no other. It felt as if someone had reached inside her chest and was squeezing her heart so hard that she couldn't breath. But now the pain was even more real as she stopped slowly, everything was dizzy and her head pounded as pain surged through her entire body. It hurt. Bad. Then the world went black as it came crashing down around her for the second time. 


	16. Soul Searching

The Bishonen of February  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"NUUURRIIKOOO!! HOOOTOOOHOOORII!!" Pounding noises filled the apartment as if someone was trying to knock down the door, and in this case Yue was.  
  
"THE END IS COMING!!!" Nuriko screamed and fell out of his bed onto Hotohori.  
  
"AHHHH!!" Hotohori whimpered in pain as Nuriko climbed off of him and the two ran to the door. They opened it to see Yue standing there soaked in rain, his clothes hanging onto him, dragging down and clinging to his skin. His hair was straggly and his white wings where mud splattered, he smelled like wet dog.  
  
"What happened? Where's Kina?" Hotohori asked while Nuriko ran to bring Yue some towels.  
  
"I took Kina out ... saw an old .. friend ... pretended like I didn't know her ..... we fought ... she ran off. I've been looking for her for the last four hours...I think. I can't find any trace of her. What if something happened to her? AHH! I'm so STUPID!!!" Yue slammed his head against the wall.  
  
"Let's just calm down! First, let's check out all the places she likes then meet back here in an hour. If we still haven't found her, we'll talk with the police." Hotohori calmly proposed.  
  
"How about we put a tracking collar on her next time?" Nuriko sadly attempted to lighten the mood as they split up, each with a specific destination.  
  
~*~  
  
"Uuuuhhhh....oooohhhh...my....h...head....!" Her hands flew up to hold her aching head but she touched a cold wash cloth that promptly fell off, "Where am I?" Kina asked herself as the room she was in slowly came into focus, "My body feels so weak." She muttered, holding out her shaking arm that had a miniature tub attached to it. Kina surveyed the tiny room. It appeared to be much like a hospital room, but more cozy. She was on a futon with a machine attached to the tub in her arm. Someone had changed her from her wet sundress and she was now in comfortable pajamas. Set up neatly was a chair and a window. She looked at a painting on the wall.  
  
"OHMYGOSH!" A piercing scream filled the room as Kina tumbled off the bed, pulling the tub out of her arm. The painting had startled her as recognition slowly dawned on her face. Her rapid breath tediously calmed as she looked at the picture closely, carefully she stood up and ran her fingers along the rough canvas and then over the signature of the painter. Celestin Misatu. Her father. The picture was of her mother, sitting in the same kimono Kina had been wearing only a day ago. Her mother appeared young and so beautiful. Around her mother thousands of cherry trees where blossoming and they filled the picture with a calm serenity.  
  
"I see you're awake now!" A male's voice quietly stated as Kina was brought back to reality. She turned around to see a blue haired bishonen smiling at her. He had thick-rimmed glassed and was wearing jeans with a blue button up collared sweater. Her confused look indicated to the bishonen that she had no clue what was going on.  
  
"You are the North Mountain Gym. I'm Joe. Kodachi saved your life and brought you here." Joe smiled at her, "I'll go tell Kodachi you're awake."  
  
"Who's picture is this?" Kina blankly pointed at the picture and the name Kodachi rang a bell.  
  
"I'm not really sure, it was here before I arrived at the Gym. Make yourself at home." The Joe person left and a few moments later a woman walked in.  
  
"Want something to drink?" The lady grinned and took a swig of a Pepsi.  
  
"No thank you." Kina nodded politely.  
  
"Ah, nervous aren't you? Yeah it's me, the person from you 'dream'. I found you collapsed near the front of the Gym and I knew fate had finally brought you here." Kodachi sat down on the bed so that she was across from Kina.  
  
"You knew my mother. What do you mean by fate?" Kina glanced at the picture again, her eyes full of compassion. So many thoughts where blazing in her mind but she decided to focus on the main problem for now.  
  
"Yes. We where good friends, all three of us (meaning your mother, your father and I), we grew up together. That was a painting he had done of her, after their death he had left it to me so I put it up in this room. I knew you would stop by here, it's a matter of life and death." Kodachi motioned towards the machine near Kina, "That hunk of junk saved your life. I did some research and discovered that the medicine you where given for your weak heart won't work because of your bishonen blood. Am I correct?"  
  
"I don't know if your theory is right but it won't work, not that I take it in the first place." Kina was in amazement at how much this woman knew. She grinned and took another sip of the drink.  
  
"Fate brought you here so I can attempt to save your life. Time is running out." Her face grew grave, "So no medicine will work? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Your mother had the same disease but she had no bishonen blood in her. If I am correct, your father was a god/goddess type bishonen?"  
  
"Yes." She nodded slowly, the conversation was going so fast and she had no clue about this Kodachi.  
  
"There is another Gym not to far from here called the Ankoku Touki Dojo and a woman there named Arashi Kenji specializes in god/goddess type bishonen. If I'm correct, with some tests it IS possible for her to help you control your power and then you can focus it on keeping your heart healthy or possibly heal it in a risky procedure. Either way, you need some rest and to contact your family or whoever you live with. Feel free to do whatever you like around here." Kodachi got up to leave but was stopped when Kina grabbed her arm.  
  
"Um, why did you save me?" Kina peered at the woman innocently.  
  
"Let's just say it was a favor I owed your parents. Oh and your dress is over there." Kodachi gave Kina another one of her cheesy grins and nodded to the chair where the dress had been cleaned and neatly folded.  
  
"What.....what where my parent's like? I can't remember much now a days."  
  
"I knew you would ask," Kodachi's face grew soft as she sat down next to the girl, "Well, they where both very caring and happy people who loved you dearly..." She paused to take another drink then continued far into the night talking with Kina. And Kina talked back with her, unknowing to the fact that her mother had chosen Kodachi to be Kina's godmother.  
  
~*~  
  
"Where is she?!" Yue slammed his fist onto the kitchen table.  
  
Hotohori wanted to tell him not to hurt the table but the situation was too dire for him to say anything.  
  
"You found no trace of her?" Nuriko rubbed his eyes tiredly and turned to Hotohori who nodded no.  
  
A phone rang softly.  
  
"Hello?" Nuriko answered it.  
  
"Hey Nuriko. Sorry if I worried you all. I'm at the North Mountain Gym and I'm ok. I'll be back later."  
  
"Are you serious? You ran all the way there?! Do you know HOW FAR that is? It's over five miles! Geez, you must have been upset."  
  
The other line quieted as Nuriko regretted saying his last sentence.  
  
"You guys don't need to come up here, I'm going to stay here for a day or two then head up to the Ankoku Touki Dojo where I'm going to take care of some business. Bye, be good. Miss you all."  
  
The phone clicked as the line went dead, "It was Kina, she's ok." Nuriko smiled and explained to them their conversation.  
  
~*~  
  
Yue looked at himself in the mirror, bags where under his eyes and he was unshaven. After he finished his shower he stepped out and proceeded to get ready for bed.  
  
"Oh Kina, if only I could talk to you, I'd say I'm sorry so many times until you forgave me. It's amazing how hard three words can be to say. I love you." He leaned into the mirror, frowned and then walked over to his bed. As he pulled the covers over his body, memories of when he and Kina woke up in his room flashed in his head and he laughed out loud at the thought. She was such a diverse person. And he liked that; he liked everything about her. From the smell of her hair to her laughter and oh her singing didn't even compare to that of an angels. But he acted like an idiot, a fool and now Kina was gone. There was a hole in his heart; he didn't feel complete at all. She had been the rock he leaned on; she had made his heart whole and saved him from losing himself to hatred. His evil little conscious that always made an appearance for him seemed asleep now, or maybe he had even conquered it. He was free to be his own person without a voice always nagging at him for his mistakes or telling him not to be friends with a human girl.  
  
He sat up in bed, silently cursing himself for his stubbornness. Yue knew he had to find her, slowly he proceeded to pack some clothing and attempted to sneak out of the apartment.  
  
"I've got a bag packed with clothes and food. You're not going anywhere without us" Nuriko and Hotohori smiled at Yue as they flickered on the lights.  
  
"Thanks you guys. Let's go to Ankoku Touki Dojo!" He grinned and the three bishonen set off to find Kina.  
  
~*~  
  
Her eyelashes fluttered, beating rapidly against the surface of her cheeks. Kina lay perfectly still, not wishing to aggravate her few aches and pains any more than she had to. As the drag of her previous sleepiness began to finally leave Kina, she couldn't help but wonder on just how long she had been awake, or better yet, how long she had been asleep. It was as if time had abandoned her altogether, for just lying here she had absolutely no clue on exactly "when" it could be. As far as she was concerned, seven months could have passed without her knowing. Time could only partly worry her at the moment though; she had to get going to find Arashi Kenji. Her and Kodachi had stayed up late into the night talking about various subjects, mainly her parents and about Kina's life along with the subject of Yue.  
  
"Thank you Joe." Kina greeted the bishonen as he set down a hearty breakfast before her.  
  
"You'll need some provisions and some sets of clothing before you leave. And of course a map with the address! Wouldn't want you getting lost now would we?" Kodachi laughed sarcastically and walked into the kitchen. She sat down a bag that had been pre-prepared for Kina.  
  
"Thank you Kodachi!" Kina jumped up and hugged the Gym trainer.  
  
"No problem my dear." She hugged Kina back then advanced to the gym center, "If you need anything else feel free to ask. And you better tell me when you're going to leave!"  
  
Kina gulped down her meal and thanked the bishonen known as Joe.  
  
"I'll be leaving now." She stretched her arms above her head then walked outside, breathing in the fresh air.  
  
"Ok, would you like some money to catch a train there?" Kodachi walked out and greeted Kina yet again.  
  
"No thank you, I'd prefer to walk. I'd like to think about some things before I reach Arashi Kenji and I like the fresh air in the forest."  
  
"Suit yourself, but be careful. It's a few days hike but just stick to the main pathway and you'll get there fine. I wish you the best of luck."  
  
The two women that seemed to come from two different worlds but had so much in common hugged and Kina began her long trudge to the Ankoku Touki Dojo. 


	17. Wanna Be

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 16  
  
He inched up slowly then fell down again but Kina didn't know why he just didn't give up. She knew he could never make it all the way up the leaf. The fuzzy green caterpillar sluggishly inched up the stem then fell down again. As it prepared to make its trip up for the hundredth time Kina looked around, she had been walking for hours it seem, no more like days. She turned back to the caterpillar and it was on the leaf! It had done it!  
  
"All that persistence paid off, didn't it?" She smiled.  
  
The sun was beginning to melt into the trees casting majestic shades of oranges, pinks, yellows and purples over the trees and the sky. The sky appeared as a set of paints that where melting into each other to form a heavenly mixture of purples and blues.  
  
"I guess I should set up camp." She threw her backpack onto the ground and sighed softly to herself, "Jeez, I've been thinking about stuff for the last three hours and I still haven't figured out a thing. I guess if this works, IF it does, I'll consider letting Yue stay with Nuriko, Hotohori and I. But either way it'll still be the three of us. Yue oh Yue." Kina attempted to sort out all of the feelings and thoughts going on in her heart and her head. Carefully, she pulled out her sleeping bag and proceeded to set up a small tent, start a fire and bring out some cans of soup. After she finished eating up she snuggled deep down into her sleeping bag and looked up at the stars as a cricket chirped off in some bushes. Kina smiled securely as she pulled her stuffed animal bunny and nuzzled with it. Kina's mother had given her the stuffed animal and it had barely ever left her side since she was little. It meant so much to her, it was as if she was not only carrying a stuffed animal, but more like part of her childhood with her family.  
  
"See Bunny, that's Orion." Kina's finger pointed up to the sky and traced the shape of the famous hero, "And there's the Big Dipper." Her finger wandered to the next constellation, "Do you think mom and dad are up there?" She asked the small stuffed animal that just gave her a stare in reply, "Yeah, I think they are too." Her eyes looked over at the pearl-like moon.  
  
~*~  
  
Yue's eyes wandered over the stars, they where so wondrous, "How could I never have noticed them before?" He questioned himself as he scrabbled into his sleeping bag.  
  
"Nuriko, get out of my sleeping bag!" Hotohori glared at Nuriko who only grinned larger in response.  
  
"This is MY sleeping bag!" Nuriko argued back.  
  
"No, don't tell me you didn't pack MY sleeping bag?!" Hotohori groaned as he climbed onto the dirty, cold Earth.  
  
"You where too busy reassuring 'table' that you where going on a trip and would be back soon." Nuriko laughed smugly.  
  
"Oh now you bring table into this? The nerve!!!!" he glared at the purple haired boy who promptly giggled and unzipped the sleeping bag so they both could fit.  
  
Yue's gaze strayed to the glowing moon, the two star-crossed lovers where miles away yet linked together at the same time, both looking up at the same moon at the same time; Yue was only a one-day hike from reaching the North Mountain Gym where Kodachi lived.  
  
"I bet she's looking at the moon right now thinking about you." Hotohori attempted to comfort the bishonen.  
  
"Yeah. Maybe." He replied before a bright string of light caught his gaze as it shot across the sky then disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
"Make a wish!"  
  
Yue closed his eyes and muttered a wish to himself.  
  
Meanwhile, miles ahead of the three...  
  
Kina's attention was drawn to the shooting star as she swiftly closed her eyes and made a wish. She gleefully brought out her handy-dandy list of things she wanted to do. Taking out her pen, she crossed off #5 "See a shooting star and make a wish." Then she crossed off #4, "Go on a long trip." And next #3 "Make a difference in the world, or at least in someone's life." And lastly, #2, "Fall in love and receive first kiss." All that remained was number one! Kina put it away and casually drifted off to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
"Kina!!! KINA!!!" Yue ran briskly into the North Mountain Gym.  
  
"Excuse me, how may I help you?" Kodachi walked into the entrance of her gym after hearing all the commotion.  
  
"Is Kina still here?!?!" Yue ran up to Kodachi and grabbed her shoulder while Nuriko and Hotohori just stood in the background.  
  
"No, she left about two days ago." Kodachi blinked innocently and gazed at all three of them, "Why your Yue, Nuriko and Hotohori! Kina mentioned y'all!" She smiled warmly.  
  
"CRAP! She's ahead of us! Where is she going?!" The white haired boy glanced around the room and his face seemed to sadden.  
  
"Like I told you before, she is going to the Ankoku Touki Dojo." Nuriko tapped Yue to remind him, "But can you tell us why?" He then turned towards Kodachi.  
  
"Why, she is going to try to control her bishonen power and she might attempt to heal herself. That gym specializes in god/goddess type bishonen. I believe the procedure is known as the Celestial Star Wave.  
  
"The Celestial Star Wave?! Isn't that a very risky procedure?" Hotohori cast a worried glance at the floor then looked back up at Kodachi.  
  
"Yes, I warned her, that I did. She seemed somewhat distracted though, as if her heart was hurting, not from her disease but from an emotional pain like a broken heart."  
  
"It's my fault, I hurt her by not trusting my own heart and doing what is right." Yue's blue and gray eyes studied the floor just as Hotohori had done.  
  
"I see. So you are the one she loves. You can stay for the night and then I'll give y'all food and such for your trip to the Ankoku Touki Dojo." Kodachi nodded as Joe walked in to lead them to the bathtubs; she smiled as Yue's face brightened when she said about Kina loving him.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yipeee!!" Kina squealed happily as the town came into view, "The Dojo should be a mile from that town!" She announced out loud. As Kina walked towards the town she attempted to sort some of her feelings out and soon she was talking out loud, "Everything was fine while I was on my own or just with Nuri and Hori. I was in my own little happy cocoon. Then he came along and messed everything up; well I guess it's my own fault because it was actually my fault he ended up with me. But I was never suppose to start liking him, or even love him. Oh zip it Kina! You have no idea what love is, you've never loved a boy before so how do you know what it is now? What if it's just friendship? Either way, I know it's more than friendship or else I wouldn't have gotten so upset with him. I know it was a mistake so I forgive him, I just don't know how I can face him after this. How can I love him though? I could care less if he was human or bishonen but how can I love him while I have this disease? If he loves me too and we end up together, it'll be terrible for him when my time comes to go. And I don't want to cut him short from having a happy, full life. What if we had a kid? I might end up dying before it'll even know me. It's not worth the heartbreak. I know what it's like to lose parents and I would never want a child to go through it like I had too. I'll have to face him sometime or another so I can't just pretend it'll never happen. When I see him I'll tell him sorry about slapping him and see where we go from there. It's no use crying over spilt milk. I don't even know if he feels the same about me so why worry about it? Since all of this has happened I now realize there is an ugliness in my that wants all of Yue just for myself, could he ever love me despite that?"  
  
After a few more hours of dragging her tired feet along the ground she noticed someone familiar walking about in the town market place.  
  
"SHIIIIVVVVAAAA!!!!" Kina jumped up and sprinted towards a girl that had brown hair to her waist and was wearing glasses while buying some fresh fruit from a stand. She tackled the girl who screaming, not knowing what in the world was going on.  
  
"Kina?! Is that really you???" Shiva's eyes widened as she recognized her childhood friend, "It's been so long!"  
  
"I've missed you!!!!!!!" Kina smiled at her friend as they chatted.  
  
"So what brings you here?"  
  
"Oh I'm looking for the Ankoku Touki Dojo."  
  
"Wow, how weird! I'm currently working there!" Shiva's eyes brightened, "I'm buying fruit for dinner tonight. Let me just pay for these strawberries then we can go to the Dojo together and I can show you around!"  
  
"Ok, thanks girl!"  
  
"No problem!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Thank you Kodachi!" The three boys bowed gratefully and picked up their new provisions.  
  
"Did you get a new sleeping bag?" Hotohori asked Nuriko.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good, I was getting tired of you snoring and hogging all of the warm, fuzzy covers!"  
  
"Oh be quiet!"  
  
As the two argued, Kodachi leaned towards Yue and whispered to him, "Go get her."  
  
"I will." He beamed and nodded appreciatively. Nuriko, Hotohori and Yue all began the hike to the Ankoku Touki Dojo after thanking Kodachi again. 


	18. Hungry Habits and Thoughts

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 17  
  
"And do you remember the flying cereal?" Shiva laughed.  
  
"Yeah! Man, those where the good old days!"  
  
"Here we are." Shiva opened the door into the Ankoku Touki Dojo. Miss Kenji we have a visitor!" Shiva's voice bounced off the gym's walls as Kina glanced at her surroundings. The gym wasn't very big but it made up for that in interior design. The walls where painted elaborately with a pattern of different scenery, one wall had a lake with swans while another had a forest scene. The tile floors made a beautiful diamond-like design also and the room smelled like cleaning-oil.  
  
"What do you know, she's gone on a trip for a few days. Guess you'll just have to hang out with me until Miss Kenji returns! Hey Chichiri and Mitsukake can you both make us some dinner?" Shiva's grin widened as she told her two bishonen her request and hugged them both.  
  
"Oh great I'll have to hang with you! Hi Chichiri and Mitsukake!" Kina joked with her friend while rolling her eyes then thought to herself, "I hope I have a few days. And I hope those three haven't come looking for me!"  
  
"You can stay in here." Shiva led her friend to the guest bedroom as Kina sat down her luggage on the bed. Out of her bag she produced Bunny.  
  
"Remember this?" She held up Bunny as Shiva laughed, remembering the tiny stuffed animal Kina always had with her.  
  
"You still have that thing?"  
  
"Yeah, but he's getting a bit shabby."  
  
"Oh well, you can always fix him up!" Shiva picked up Bunny and examined him, "Hey, there's a little hole here!" She noticed and then proceeded to stick her finger into it, "I think there's something in here!" Her eyes widened as her finger touched a papery material.  
  
"Are you serious?!" Kina grabbed Bunny from Shiva and ventured to pull the item out while trying not to drag all of Bunny's stuffing out also.  
  
"It looks like a letter." Shiva observed the folded sheet of paper in Kina's hand. The paper appeared old and it smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. It had Kina's name written on it. Trembling, she opened the letter slowly, she knew that smell and she knew who it was from but her mind wouldn't believe it. Tears formed in her eyes as she recognized the handwriting, then she began to read it out loud.  
  
~~  
  
Dear Kina, I don't know when you will find this letter but if you are reading it right now, you obviously found it. It is February 5th, almost time for your twelfth birthday. I know I don't have much time so I placed this letter for you inside Bunny so it is most likely I am not with you anymore. How are you doing my little angel? Is life treating you well? Did you wake up feeling good? Never let that good feeling leave you. Today you are who you are and that is my little angel Kina. Are you alone or do you have a wonderful person by your side? I'm sure you're causing all kinds of trouble for lots of different people. But I know you're sorry, you don't mean to, but it's all right. That's part of life too, isn't it? You're not perfect but you've got a lot to give so remember, I'll always be cheering you on. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you but I will always be with you. I'll be in the stars smiling down at you; I will be in the wind that cools your face on a hot day. I will be in the ground that catches you when you fall, I will be in the water that kisses your face and most importantly I'll be in your heart watching over you always. I may be gone physically from this world, but I will always, ALWAYS be with you and so will your father and we are so proud of you. No matter what you do, we're always proud of you. I know it hurts angel, but you must heal that pain and be strong. I know it will most likely always hurt but you are my daughter and I know you will be fine. Remember this little poem I once learned by Ralph Walter (oh dear I forgot his last name!)  
  
"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children. To earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty and to find the best in others. To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."  
  
I want you to know I left the world without any regrets, the only thing I am saddened by is that I couldn't be there for you while you grow up. So live your life to the fullest in whatever time you have to live; you never know what might happen the next day. Don't ponder on little things like what you will do tomorrow or what you wanted to change about yesterday. When you say you're going to do something, do it. In your time, I'm no longer there but I am here today and I'll always be cheering for you. Right here, cheering for you, my little angel Kina.  
  
Love, Mom (and Dad)  
  
~~  
  
Hot tears freely streamed down Kina's face and Shiva quickly hugged her friend as Kina buried her face into her shirt and cried. Not tears of anger or of hate, but of loss. She was letting go and it hurt, but it would be ok tomorrow.  
  
~*~  
  
Yue angrily kicked a rock that flew and nailed the back of Nuriko's leg.  
  
"HEY WATCH IT!" The boy turned around and yelled at Yue who winced and hid behind Hotohori.  
  
"Don't hide behind me!"  
  
"I'm sick of walking! Can't we just find Kina! WHERE IS SHE!?" Yue screamed and fell on his knees, exhausted from walking, "I want to find her and marry her! And tell her I love her! Then she can never leave me! BWAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
"Oh-my-gosh. He's lost it." Hotohori glanced at Yue then Nuriko.  
  
"Yeah. The sun must have fried his brain. The sun is beginning to set so let's camp here then it's one more day and we'll be at the Dojo and with Kina!" Nuriko sat down his bag and began to pitch up their tent and start small bon fire. Yue pulled out a small picture he had stuck into his bag; he had found it in one of the drawers in his room. It was of Kina. His fingers traced the outline of her hair and he held back so many emotions. ~~ To watch the leaves grow on the trees with you is out of question.  
  
I walk into this summer all alone, the usual session.  
  
You feel your instinct then you act but was it your intention?  
  
To leave me down and broken now you've ended our ascension, yeah.  
  
~~ Slowly he pulled his sleeping bag up trying to block out the noises of Nuriko and Hotohori happily laughing and fooling around. He could hear them talking about him. "What's up with him Hotohori? He's been so sad and mean ever since Kina left." Nuriko questioned sounding very clueless. "Oh you have so much to learn Nuri. He loves her and misses her."  
"Hori?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Please don't leave me."  
"I won't." "How did they have the right to talk about me like that?" Yue thought to himself, "He loves her and misses her. Is it true? I always told myself that is what I feel but I've never heard someone else say it. And yet when Hori said it, I could feel the truth of his words. I do love her." ~~  
  
I still can feel the beach sand in my shoes, remember when,  
  
We talked along the ocean's song until blue from black fade in.  
  
But that was then I learned to live without you far within.  
  
I ask you why you're back to try to let me lose again.  
  
You brought me here, you wet my taste.  
  
You disappear without a trace.  
  
It wasn't me who made the call.  
  
Cause now I wanna be.  
  
Where you sleep,  
  
Where you laugh,  
  
Where you breathe,  
  
And I hate to say  
  
Still I sway  
  
Brown your eyes  
  
Gone away  
  
~~ She had taken him to the beach; no one had taken him anywhere. And she wanted to make him happy and to open his eyes. Kina had done just that, she had shown him the world in only two weeks and yet it seemed like a lifetime. But he didn't like the world without her. He turned towards Hotohori and muttered to his friend, "I don't know what I'm suppose to do. I just don't know what to do." Quietly Hotohori replied, "Tell her how you feel and if she doesn't feel the same move on. But if she does then go for it." "You mean I have to tell her?" Yue blinked, hoping he could find enough courage in him to tell her one day. ~~  
  
Should I feel some closure I deserve if that at least.  
  
And would you be so kind to show reasons for your release.  
  
You woke me up from a distant past I left behind complete.  
  
The message that you sent that night now falls to bittersweet.  
  
Was it me, my honesty?  
  
You fail to show I never know.  
  
It wasn't me who made the call.  
  
Cause now I wanna be,  
  
Where you sleep,  
  
Where you laugh,  
  
Where you breathe,  
  
And I hate to say  
  
Still I sway  
  
Brown your eyes  
  
Gone away ~~ Yue whispered softly, "Kina I love you." ~~  
  
Was it me, my honesty?  
  
You fail to show I never know.  
  
You brought me here, you wet my taste.  
  
You disappear without a trace.  
  
Did you think I'd ever lead you wrong?  
  
Just know I'll save all of our moments that we are.  
  
Still I wanna be  
  
Where you sleep  
  
Where you laugh  
  
Where you breathe  
  
And I hate to say  
  
Still I sway  
  
Brown your eyes  
  
Gone away  
  
~~ Kina sat up in her sleep, she could have sworn she heard someone say "Kina, I love you." and it sounded so much like Yue. Unknowingly, she whispered back, "I love you too." After Shiva and Kina had found the letter and cried to their hearts content they both had retired to bed. ~~  
  
Now I wanna be,  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Where you sleep,  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Where you laugh,  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Where you breathe,  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
And I hate to say,  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Still I sway  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Brown your eyes  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
Gone away  
  
(Someday you'll wish you never)  
  
You took it all away.  
You took it all away. 


	19. Irresponsible Actions

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 18  
  
Nuriko quietly sat up in his sleeping bag. He was up earlier than usual, he noticed. The morning hadn't quite arrived fully, and the sky was still tinted gray. He shifted slightly and rubbed the last of the sleep from his eyes, flipping his braid over his shoulder. Looking down, he allowed a small smile to cross his lips. Hotohori was still sleeping like a baby, his expression calm and relaxed. Nuriko's hand reached down and brushed a stray chestnut-colored hair out of his friend's face. Violet eyes filled with deep emotion for a brief second before the purple-haired boy silently got up from his makeshift bed. He'd let Hotohori sleep for a little while longer.  
  
~*~  
  
The mouthwatering aroma of waffles and hot chocolate awoke Kina from her deep, exhaustion-induced sleep. Her eyes shot open and she was in the kitchen in a record time of 2.67 seconds, drooling.  
  
"A-are any of those for meee??" she demanded of Chichiri.  
  
"Umm...they'll be ready in a minute, no da," he replied, sweatdropping and backing away. Mitsukake chuckled from his seat at the kitchen table, but said nothing.  
  
"Mmm! 'Chiri, that smells divine!" Shiva exclaimed, walking into the room. "Want I should set the table for you?"  
  
"That sounds good, no da," the blue-haired bishonen answered, still a bit warily. Why did he always get stuck with the weird ones? He dropped the subject and turned back to his waffles.  
  
Kina followed her friend over to the silverware drawer. "So...your bishonen don't talk much, do they?"  
  
"Oh, they won't for a while around you. They're under strict orders not to frighten you off. After a while, you won't be able to get them to shut up- well, 'Chiri, that is. 'Kake, on the other hand...he never talks. A regular Trowa in the making, except without the clown suit."  
  
Kina laughed. "They oughta meet my Nuri and Hori."  
  
Shiva blinked. "Hey, that reminds me! Where are your bishonen, by the way?"  
  
The redhead turned away. "..."  
  
"C'mon, spill."  
  
"They didn't come with me." Kina muttered.  
  
"What? Are you crazy, girl?" Shiva grabbed Kina by the shoulders and shook her hard. "Do you have any idea how risky that is, to come out here all the way by yourself?! There have been reports of wild Shishios in the area- do you have any clue as to how dangerous those are? What if I didn't find you? What would you have done?!" she demanded.  
  
Kina looked up at her friend, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
Shiva softened. "Aw, Kina, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."  
  
"No, that's not it!" Kina managed. "It's just....the forks are poking into my arm!"  
  
"Oh. Whoops."  
  
~*~  
  
Minutes later, things were much quieter in the household. All of the occupants were busy stuffing their faces with Chichiri's homemade waffles.  
  
"Kina," Shiva managed to get in between mouthfuls, "I have the best idea. Meet me outside after breakfast with as many stuffed gorillas as you can find, some rubber boots, and a liter of honey. It'll be just like the old days!!"  
  
A piece of waffle lodged itself in Kina's throat, and she began to cough. Whether it was in shock at Shiva's statement or because of the waffle was debatable.  
  
Shiva stood up abruptly. "Hey, Kina, you OK?"  
  
"It's OK, no da!" Chichiri called. "Mitsukake knows the Hiemlich maneuver, no da!"  
  
The healing bishonen obligingly got up from his seat and placed his strong arms around Kina's abdomen. In one swift movement, he jerked his hands up into her diaphragm and the offending waffle flew out across the table.  
  
"OK, now that's just gross," Shiva noted.  
  
"Oh, thanks ever so much for being worried about me," Kina grumbled. "Here I am, your best friend hacking out a lung on your table, and the best you can manage is 'that's gross'?"  
  
Shiva sniffed. "Don't write me off as being completely self-absorbed yet...I was worried about the table!"  
  
Kina laughed, feeling a twinge of homesickness pull at her heart. Hotohori would have said the exact same thing. She shook her head slightly, hoping to get rid of the unattractive thoughts. She pushed them to the back of her mind and sat back down to finish her waffles.  
  
~*~  
  
Yue wrinkled his nose at the unappetizing specimen in front of him. "And you're sure this is edible?" he questioned the bishonen in front of him.  
  
Nuriko crossed his arms. "Hey, when my materials consist of grass and pancake mix, a gourmet chef I'm not. I had to ad-lib it a little."  
  
"I really don't want to know what's in this now."  
  
"That's probably a good idea."  
  
"That's not helping." Yue poked his food again, something he'd found himself to be doing a lot. "Hey, where's Hotohori?"  
  
"Oh, he's still sleeping."  
  
"Aren't you going to wake him up, then? We have to get started soon."  
  
"I know. I just want him to sleep in as much as possible. He's been under a lot of stress lately, you know."  
  
"Which one of us hasn't?" Yue replied wryly, venturing a bite of the unknown substance. "Blech!" He spat it out instantly.  
  
Nuriko made an apologetic motion with his hands. "You have a point. But Hori has a habit of worrying a lot about the people he cares about. He doesn't show it, so not many people can tell, but he really worries about them. And Kina, well...he cares about her a lot. He's been out of his mind with anxiety these past few days. I just want him to take care of himself, but he's not. So I'm letting him sleep in a bit today. Besides, it's not like he's missing much," he finished lamely, trying and failing to cover up the concern in his voice. "This breakfast's not exactly edible."  
  
~*~  
  
"So when's Arashi due back?" Kina asked, placing her dirty dishes in the sink.  
  
Mitsukake raised an eyebrow. "Is this really dirty?" he questioned quietly.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, it is. I just licked it clean," Kina replied casually.  
  
She became the recipient of three very disbelieving stares.  
  
"What?! I was hungry!" she defended herself.  
  
"I can't believe you," Shiva muttered, shaking her head. "You haven't changed at all."  
  
"Heh." Kina grinned, then asked, "Like I said, when's Arashi due back?"  
  
"Oh, I'm already here!" a voice caroled, causing the two girls to jump almost a foot into the air. They turned around.  
  
A redhead of average height stood before them, decked out in a black tank top and khakis. She wore black shoes, and her long, fire-red hair went down past the brown belt around her waist that held her bishonen balls. Her gray eyes flashed cheerfully as she grinned.  
  
"A-A-Arashi?!" Shiva stuttered. "When did you get back?"  
  
"Last night," Arashi replied, waving her hand in a friendly manner.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
The gym leader shrugged. "You guys seemed fine on your own. Besides, you were having your whole memories thing going on with that stuffed rabbit of yours, so..."  
  
"You LISTENED to that?!?!?!" Shiva demanded in embarrassment.  
  
Arashi blinked. "I wasn't supposed to?"  
  
Chichiri shook his head and turned back to his dishes as the girls continued to talk. He had given up on understanding trainers long ago.  
  
"I'll help you with those," a deep voice said from behind him. Chichiri looked in the direction of the voice to see Mitsukake step to his side and begin scrubbing a plate. The aqua-haired monk turned his head away and began to clean the waffle iron. Underneath the water in the sink, the two bishonen's hands brushed each other's slightly. With identical blushes on their faces, they quickly pulled their hands away and continued the chore.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mm." Hotohori remarked to himself from his position in his sleeping bag. It was a nice morning, and he had slept wonderfully. Pulling himself out of bed, he walked over to where Nuriko and Yue were packing.  
  
"'Morning, Nuri," he drawled, coming up and hugging the other boy from behind. "How's it going?"  
  
Nuriko blushed slightly and grinned. It was going to be a good day, if this was any indication. "Pretty good, actually," he replied. "We're almost ready to leave."  
  
"We're leaving already? What time is it?"  
  
"About 11:15," Yue answered.  
  
"11:15?!?!" Hotohori screeched. "Why didn't you wake me up?"  
  
"Ow, Hori. That's right in my ear!" Nuriko complained. "And we wanted to let you sleep. You looked exhausted."  
  
"We?" asked Yue.  
  
Nuriko glared at him. "Well, it's too late to do anything about it now. Just get dressed, and then we can all get back to finding Kina."  
  
Hotohori grumbled a bit about certain purple-haired bishonen who needed to learn about alarm clocks, but went off to do as Nuriko said.  
  
"Oh, Hori?" Nuriko called sweetly. "If you complain about me one more time, you'll find something verrrry interesting in your lunch today."  
  
Hotohori promptly shut up. 


	20. Back In Love

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 20  
  
Kina's eyes wander off to Nuriko who gave her a 'I'm sorry' look.  
  
"It's ok." She smiled back at him.  
  
"Are you listening to me?" Yue slammed his fist against the wall next to her head. Her heart fluttered from the shock for a moment before her eyes hardened.  
  
"Listen Yue, it's my decision. I know it's risky but I'm willing to give it a try."  
  
"Stop being so stubborn!" He back away from her then turned towards Nuriko and Hotohori for help but they just backed away.  
  
Amongst all the commotion Chichiri and Mistukake had walked in.  
  
"Hello, no da." Chichiri smiled at Nuriko and Hotohori who greeted him back.  
  
"..." Mistukake nodded, he turned towards Chichiri, "Maybe we should leave."  
  
"Yeah, no da."  
  
Nuriko turned towards Hotohori, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
Hotohori nodded yes in response.  
  
Mistukake and Chichiri gave them a weird look then quickly left the room.  
  
Shiva decided to take action, "You two break it up!" She pulled Yue and Kina apart as Arashi looked over at all that was going on.  
  
"Do you know the chance of it working is only 11%! Just forget about it, I refuse to allow you to do this!"  
  
"Since when did you become my father?!" Kina screamed back at Yue angrily.  
  
"I had to because if I didn't you would be going hog wild and then you'd be dead! It's misery to see you like this!" He looked down at the floor; it was useless to fight. That was one thing he had learned. That fighting never solved anything.  
  
"February is almost over and as soon as it's done I want you gone!" She turned and walked quiet over to Arashi, "Let's keep training."  
  
"Fine then!" Yue turned around and walked to Chichiri who was standing outside with Mistukake, "Can I have a room to stay in?"  
  
"I'll accommodate you all, no da!"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Yue knew Kina was stubborn and that he'd never get through to her, "I'll just stay until February and watch her fail miserably. She could never get enough power to use the Celestial Star Wave any ways, right?" He told himself.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey Kake, don't you think Chiri has nice blue hair?" Nuriko tapped the silent man who was watching Shiva make supper.  
  
"..." He stared down at Nuriko then got up to go.  
  
Yue walked outside, he had been so quiet and sad lately, "I can't believe she's really going to do this." He could hear her sparring with Arashi as he walked back into the training center; he was just wandering around. Just as he entered Kina was slammed into the ground.  
  
"You're doing a great job Miss Kina!" He sarcastically drooled.  
  
"Oh shut up you spoiled brat!" She shouted back.  
  
"Always watch your opponent!" Arashi slammed another blow into Kina's  
stomach.  
  
Kina's eyes glowed with anger, "Because of you I got hit Yue!" She  
screamed, "BLUE WIND GALE!!!!" A large tornado-like wind rammed into  
Arashi.  
  
"Great job!" Arashi recovered and stopped for a break. Yue cursed at Kina  
under his breath as he walked outside.  
  
"I can hear you, you big hairy winged monkey!" Kina sneered at him.  
  
"Oh, great come back! We're not in 2nd grade anymore!" He laughed as the  
door shut behind him.  
  
Arashi walked up behind Kina, "You shouldn't fight with him, this is the  
most important task of your life. Before you attempt the Celestial Star Wave I strongly suggest you make amends with him, before it's too late."  
  
"I guess you're right. But he makes me so mad sometimes!"  
  
"Young love." Arashi chuckled to herself.  
  
~*~  
  
Kina looked down at a tiny picture she had of Yue and her at the festival, "It seems so long ago and yet at the same time I can remember it like it was yesterday." She muttered to herself. Kina had been bickering aimlessly with Yue since then but her heart kept telling her to stop her foolishness and make up with him before it might end. She had been training for three days straight and was actually becoming quiet strong. Kina got up off her bed and looked out at the window as a cricket chirped quietly, she couldn't sleep. Tomorrow they had agreed to attempt the Celestial Star Wave. Soon her feet had guided her outside the Dojo where she sat down and looked up at the stars.  
  
~~  
  
I never could explain it Or even try to name it All I feel whenever I'm alone with you But there's a certain sweetness I find a true completeness Deep inside that never goes away whatever we do We stop we start we fight it but we lose It's always so confusing Cause at that moment you hold and kiss me good-bye Like a friend Our hearts begin to pound again We're back in love Although I know it's crazy Right back in love My mind becomes so hazy  
  
~~  
  
"You should be resting." A voice quietly stated behind her as she heard gentle footfalls walking up next to her.  
  
Kina took a deep breath and blurted out quickly, "I'm sorry Yue. After looking at some pictures of you and I it made me think that your smile isn't the same these days, it seems a little empty and sad now. So I'm sad because I want you to be happy, therefore I'll do whatever it takes to see your happy smile again." She was so glad for the darkness, now Yue wouldn't be able to see her blushing face or the tears on her cheeks. Sometimes the dark can be wonderful, that was when she liked to speak her heart and you can't see their reaction, so if its bad you don't have to feel as stupid.  
  
He blinked, her apology sounded so sincere but so sad also. He had never heard Kina say anything like she had just said, it was so unlike her, "It's ok, I'm sorry also. I was stupid and angry. It's just I worry about you."  
  
~~  
  
I gamble again 'cause I feel lucky when I see There in your eyes you're back in love... Oh! You can't deny you're back in love with me It's always been exciting The loving and the fighting Then we said we'd try for something else instead I called you my ex-lover We said we'd soon discover something like We tried it but we're still not getting it right We talked we laughed and I start wanting you so We know it's far from over  
  
~~  
  
More footfalls could be heard walking towards the two and soon Nuriko and Hotohori where standing next to them.  
  
"Can't sleep?" The purple haired bishonen whispered.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Mean either." Hotohori sat down along with Nuriko and Yue.  
  
"Thank you, all of you." Kina turned towards them, she could vaguely make out the outline and creases of their faces.  
  
"For what?" Nuriko leaned back into the cold grass.  
  
"For showing me who I am. The real me. The me who likes to make people happy. Nuriko and Hotohori, you both made me remember that.  
  
"Your welcome. Thank you for giving us both so much." Hotohori replied on behalf of himself and Nuriko. Yue's gaze wandered to the grass.  
  
"And thank you Yue, you made me realize the person I am now and my wishes. You made me see my wishes and they are to remain here with all of you. That's why I want to try the procedure."  
  
The four friends all stood up and walked to bed feeling better.  
  
~~  
  
You call me, Honey Or maybe I take your arm - like a friend And suddenly we fall again We're back in love Although I know it's crazy Right back in love My mind becomes so hazy I gamble again 'cause I feel lucky when I see There in your eyes you're back in love... Oh! You can't deny you're back in love with me, with me. 


	21. Adieu

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 21  
  
"And then she says she believes in dreaming. And then she says she talks to the stars. And then she says she can see forever, where we are." Yue sang softly to himself as he got dressed, today Kina was going to attempt the risky procedure. He stared at the wall in front of him, he couldn't believe she was going to do this. Then he felt his familiar conscious butting in.  
  
*February's over in just a few days, ditch her! If she dies, oh well! She's just caused you trouble so who cares what happens to her?*  
  
"I care about her! Shut up!" He cursed out loud. *Ok so you love her. If you love her then stop her from doing this!*  
  
"She won't listen to me." He yelled at himself. *Then make her*  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you ready to do this Kina?" She looked into her eyes and asked herself over and over again if she was ready, "Yeah I am. But first I want to talk to Yue." She slowly stood up and walked towards his room but stopped as he emerged, "Hey! Just who I was looking for."  
  
"You shouldn't take this risky procedure." He peered into her eyes with a strange determination.  
  
"No, I'm going ahead with it." She stated firmly, putting her foot down hard as she stepped towards him, "What does it matter, you're leaving when February ends! Remember when I first met you? I made you vow you would leave at the end of the month. No if ands or buts about it."  
  
*Why am I so stubborn? I know I love him and yet I feel like I should push him away. Maybe its because it seems like everyone I get close to ends up in tragedy* She told herself.  
  
His eyes looked towards the floor. He had vowed to.  
  
"Sorry about that, it wasn't my intention to bring it up really." She stepped closer to him. "My goal is to make you see the world however, now I've discovered something about myself. I've learned there's an ugliness in me that wants your love for myself shared with no one. Could you love me, could you ever despite that?" Her heart began to pour itself out to him, she knew this could be the last time she would ever see him. He stepped next to her and gently rested his hands on her shoulder.  
  
"Because of that I love you." He muttered.  
  
"Thank you. That's why I'll take the risk, even if it's only 11%." She looked down sadly; her heart was being torn into two.  
  
~~  
  
Been a fool, been a clown  
  
Lost my way from up and down And I know, yes I know And I see it in your eyes That you really weren't surprised at me at all Not at all And I know by your smile it's you. Don't care for me, don't cry Let's say goodbye, Adieu. It's time to say goodbye; I know that in time It will just fade away; it's time to say goodbye.  
  
~~  
  
"Even if you lose every single memory of the time we spent together, even if the entire universe comes between us, I would find you and we'd start all over again and again even if it takes a life time." He whispered tenderly into her ear. Tears formed in the brim of her eyes but she quickly blinked them away.  
  
~~  
  
I stand alone, and watch you fade away like clouds  
  
High up and in the sky I'm strong and so cold As I stand alone Goodbye, So long, Adieu. Oh how I love you so, lost in those memories And now you've gone I feel the pain, feeling like a fool, Adieu  
  
~~  
  
"Hey you two! Kina time to get started!" Shiva broke the moment as she grabbed Kina's arm and dragged her into the training center. "Good luck!" She patted her best friend's back. Yue followed Kina into the room, he didn't know if he could stand to watch but he had to force himself to. Nuriko and Hotohori walked into the room and they promptly ran to Kina.  
  
"Good luck." Hotohori painfully forced the words out of his mouth; he couldn't stand to see this; to see Kina teetering on the edge of life and death.  
  
"You can't depend on luck." Yue glanced up at Kina.  
  
"But sometimes luck is the only thing we have." She winked at him then turned to Nuriko.  
  
"We love you, be strong. We'll always love you." Nuriko hugged Kina and Hotohori joined in the hug.  
  
"I love you both so much, thank you for everything. You receive my blessing!" She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed both of their foreheads, "And get Chichiri and Mistukake together for me!" She laughed.  
  
Shiva ran up, hiding her tears and hugged Kina, "Here, have my winning bottle cap!" She handed Kina a bottle cap that said on the inside, "winner."  
  
"Oh my gosh! Are you sure? I remember I gave you that thing like almost seven years ago when I won it off a soda bottle!"  
  
"Hey it was yours to start with, so keep it." The two friends embraced again.  
  
"Thanks! Jeez you guys, it's not like I'm dying or anything!" Kina sat down on the table that had been placed in the center of the training center.  
  
Arashi walked up to Kina, "Time to begin. Be strong and have hope. Good luck."  
  
~~  
  
Oh how I love you so, lost in those memories And now you've gone I feel the pain, feeling like a fool, Adieu My love for you burns deep Inside me, so strong Embers of times we had And now here I stand lost in a memory I see your face and smile.  
  
~~  
  
Kina closed her eyes and muttered a quiet prayer to her mother. She took one more glance at her friends. No, more like her family. Every single person that meant something to her, and oh how she loved them all. Then she called out to them, "Have faith!" She turned around and laid across the table that had been placed in the center of the room, then she raised her arms into the air.  
  
Her voice quietly chanted, "The four directions of the sky. The four directions of the Earth. By using the way, the mind and goodness. With deep rules. With truth and justice. Please tell the protector of Life. Now I will complete the words, Stars above, from the sky to the Earth. Through the power of the celestial stars, fulfill for all living things. Please make extinct every kind of evil by your powers. Protect us. Only I wish, please listen to this. From the sky, please come down and heal me with this one wish! Celestial Star Wave!"  
  
A pillar of blue light encircled Kina causing her hair to fly in all directions. The brilliant light was like a beacon during a storm and it filled the room with an enchanting aurora.  
  
~~  
  
Oh how I love you so, lost in those memories And now you've gone I feel the pain, feeling like a fool, Adieu My love for you burns deep Inside me, so strong Embers of times we had And now here I stand lost in a memory I see your face and smile.  
  
~~  
  
Now it was Kina's turn to be strong, her hands lifted into the light as her voice echoed over the wind that began swirling around her. "Please heal my heart!" She called out. She had to be strong. She had to concentrate. Memories flashed through her mind, Nuriko and Hotohori hugging, Tama and Neko playing on the sidewalk, Kina as a child playing with Shiva, Arashi sparring with her, Yue giving her a necklace that was a key, the key to his heart and her mother hugging Kina as a child. A piercing scream broke the serenity. With a dazzling flash of silver light the room went dead silent and pitch black.  
  
"Chiri! Turn the lights on!" Shiva yelled over to her bishonen. Everyone was holding their breath; hoping Kina would be ok. Yue blocked the light from his eyes with his hand as the lights turned on in the room. Everyone waited while their eyes adjusted to the light. Shivers ran up and down Yue's spine as he walked towards the limp body that lay on the table.  
  
"K....K...Kina?" Yue stuttered; he swore his heart was failing him. Her body didn't move and it seemed so pale, so lifeless. He couldn't stand it; he couldn't stand it at all. He turned and ran, and it hurt so badly. It felt like someone was ripping his heart apart. And he ran as fast as he could into the forest. "February was almost over any ways." He told himself, "but you weren't suppose to go, I was!" He screamed in agony as he fell onto the forest floor, crying hot tears. He didn't know whether he could return to see her or not, maybe at her funeral. But he couldn't face anything right now, all his emotions where welling up inside of him and soon he was drained. Maybe he would go back. Maybe not.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yue?" Nuriko's voice trembled as he looked at where the white-haired bishonen had once been standing. Mistukake quickly lifted Kina's body into his strong arms.  
  
"She's barely alive." He turned and briskly walked out of the room, "We've got to get her to a hospital." Her limp arm fell from his grip and dangled there. 


	22. I'll Be There

The Bishonen of February  
Chapter 22  
  
Nuriko tiredly rubbed his forehead as he glanced at the pale girl stretched out on the hospital bed. A strong hand rested on Nuriko's shoulder as it calmly reassured the bishonen that everything would be ok.  
  
"Thanks Hotohori." He looked at the chestnut haired man then turned back to the girl, "When do you think she'll wake up?"  
  
"I don't know." Mistukake replied from across the room.  
  
"Any sign of Yue?" Shiva questioned Chichiri as he entered the room.  
  
"Nope, no da." He replied sadly then sat down next to Mistukake.  
  
"He thought she was dead, like most of us did and he freaked out." Hotohori muttered.  
  
"I can't believe it worked though. Her heart was healed, but from all the power she used it caused her to go into a coma." Arashi walked into the room with cups of pudding for everybody.  
  
"I...I...It...w..worked?" A weak voice murmured from the bed as Kina's head weakly turned towards Arashi.  
  
"Kina! You're awake!" Nuriko happily jumped up and sat by her bedside, "We where so worried! How are you feeling?" He hugged her gently.  
  
"Tired but ok." She smiled at her dear friend. It had worked. It had actually worked! She was ok! Now she could finally complete the number one thing to do on her list, marry her love and have kids! She blushed at this thought then her head looked around for Yue, "Where's Yue?"  
  
"He...he left." Hotohori ruefully informed her.  
  
"Yeah, well it is March 1st, February is over." Her heart hurt from the loss of her love after all that they had been through. She looked around the table and began to panic, "Where's my winning bottle cap???"  
  
"Right here, the hospital attendants almost threw it away but I saved it  
for you." Shiva handed Kina the cap.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"You get some rest, we'll be outside." Shiva smiled at her friend then pushed everyone out of the room, "If you want some fresh air there's a garden out back."  
  
"Thanks Shiva." Kina smirked.  
  
~*~  
  
"Stupid hospital gowns!" Kina attempted to keep the back of her gown closed so she didn't moon any poor passer-by. It had been three days since she had attempted the Celestial Star Wave and she spent most of the time inside asleep eating hospital Jell-O. Finally the nurse had let her go out into the gardens. She carefully stepped into the garden as white and pink cherry blossoms peacefully floated towards the ground in a tranquil serenity. She stopped under a large oak tree and Kina sat down, spreading out a blanket.  
  
"I miss you Yue." She muttered under her breath as she produced a sandwich from her bag. Kina's ears twitched as she heard a faint meowing noise coming from behind her.  
  
~~  
  
Let's do lots of happy things and fun things together. Linked hand in hand Exchanging promises When you're lonely, when you're hurting Don't face your sorrow alone. Know that I'll always be there with you, without fail. Strength is a very important thing, But you need tears too. With a parched, dried-up heart, You can't do anything at all; You can't feel a thing. Tell me, why do people Hide what they really feel inside? Take what you can do, what you want to do, One step at a time. I love the way you don't care  
  
~~  
  
"Where'd you guys come from?" Kina picked up Tama and Neko as she looked around. "I wonder if Yue will ever come back. I know February is over but I wish he had never left!" She told the kittens who meowed in response. She felt the bottle cap poking her side in her pocket. A large apple flew down at Kina, nailing her in her head.  
  
"OW!" Kina jumped up, looking around while rubbing her head. A white haired bishonen looked down at her from his perch high up in a tree. He turned his head away when suddenly the same apple hit his head.  
  
"What?" He yelled in shock, falling down from the tree but the large pearly wings on his back helped ease his fall.  
  
"It's rude to throw things at people!" Kina glared up at person who was hidden in the shadows of the tree.  
  
~~  
  
I would follow you anywhere. I will never, ever, let go of you. I love this excitement I can honestly believe in this power I see. Let's kiss. Let's hold each other. Let's feel each other's warmth We don't need words We can feel the love We were born to meet, Crossing over a very long time. Now more than ever, The excitement spinning through my heart Can't be stopped by anyone.  
  
~~  
  
"Look whose talking!" Yue grinned as he stepped out into the light.  
  
"Yue....? You....you...didn't leave!" Kina leapt towards him and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"I love you Yue." Their lips brushed softly then Yue let go of her gently, leaning down on one knee.  
  
"I love you too Kina. I thought you where dead and I was so scare of what could have happened to you so I ran away only to discover I could never leave you. I've only known you for a month and yet it seems like I've known you forever. As I once heard someone say, we've got now and that's all anyone has. So will you spend now and forever with me? Kina, will you marry me?" He produced a gold band with a tiny diamond on the center.  
  
"Yes!" She flung her arms around him again as he slid the ring onto her finger. Yue stood up, picking Kina into the air and he began to swing her around in a circle then he sat her back on her feet. For once in his life, Yue finally felt complete. It was like half of him had been missing and he had just been reunited with it. Yue was happy, entirely and utterly happy.  
  
A soft wind caused her hair to fly around her face as Yue pushed some of it back, and then a voice from the wind that sounded like her mothers whispered, "When you get a winner, you can extend the time limit...a little bit. Life is precious, so cherish each moment." Her grin widened as tears brimmed on her eyes, tears of pure joy and happiness.  
  
~~  
  
Tell me, why don't people realize their true feelings? Even though the things they like, the people they love Are all that matters. If we cover up our feelings, or pretend we don't see Nothing will change, So let's live openly, frankly, honestly Our eyes looking far to the future. Tell me, why do people hide what they really feel inside? Take what you can do, what you want to do, One step at a time. I love the way you don't care How you have been programmed to live I would follow you anywhere. I will never, ever, let go of you.  
  
~~ 


End file.
